


The Heightened

by what_hasnt_been_taken_yet



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Depression, F/F, Government Conspiracy, M/M, Mutation, complicated dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, dont say i didnt warn you, imagine umbrella academy plus x-men with some government testing sprinkled in, major character death probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:53:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26117515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_hasnt_been_taken_yet/pseuds/what_hasnt_been_taken_yet
Summary: The Heightened are humans who, due to government testing, gained supernatural abilities. Some decided to run rampant, using their powers to the disadvantage of the non-gifted. In an attempt to help those with powers, and curb the rising crime rate of the the U.S. launched the Ability Conditioning Initiative.It was only a matter of time before something went wrong.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Jade Harley & Dave Strider, June Egbert/Terezi Pyrope, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam, Roxy Lalonde & Dirk Strider, Sollux Captor & Karkat Vantas, probably a shit ton of others im not gonna bother naming
Comments: 12
Kudos: 65





	1. Dave: Remember.

_A flash of light. Time slipping from startled fingers. A coursing pain, seeping into bones and flesh. A soul wrenched violently from its vessel._

You wake up from the nightmare, sweat gluing your shirt to your back. You jolt into a sitting position and immediately regret it, as every nerve ending screams at your movement. The pain is decentralized, permeating every cell in your body. It feels as though someone pulled something from within your ribcage and gracelessly shoved it back in.

Of course, that is more or less exactly what happened. You’re still feeling groggy, but not so much that you don’t remember what caused you to lose consciousness in the first place. Not so much that you don’t know your nightmare was just rehashing your last memories, playing them on a loop in your mind.

It had been incredibly stupid of you to try and escape. To be fair, you weren’t known for making the brightest plans. Then again, you’d never expected they would send _him_ to bring you back.

And bring you back he did- as you blearily wipe away your unconsciousness, you take in your bedroom around you- sterile white floor and walls, littered with clothes, posters, and the myriad possessions you were allowed to have over the years. Except something strikes you as not-quite-right. The walls seem a slightly different shade, and where there was once a glass panel in the door, there is now only solid iron, the doorknob replaced with a huge, new deadbolt. It takes your hazy, hurt-laced mind a few moments before you notice the other addition to your room. Usually you’re quicker on the uptake, but after what happened, can you really blame yourself for not immediately noticing the person sitting in your desk chair?

Except it’s not really a person, is it? You recognize the grey skin and black horns, the sharp claws and discolored eyes focusing on you. One of the facility’s experiments-gone-wrong, known colloquially as the Others. If it had been a regular human, or one of the Heightened, your first instinct probably would have been to panic or to fight, but your curiosity takes over. You’ve never seen one this close before- only glimpsed them while walking the halls of the facility. You’ve definitely never been allowed to actively interact with them. You study this one- it’s much more diminutive than the ones you’ve seen in passing, and even its horns are small, barely noticeable round nubs shining through black curls. The unsettlingly bright yellow sclerae cradled blood-red pupils, which are boring into you. It seems to have noticed you’re awake.

Fuck. You probably should have started panicking about this random stranger mutant in your room, like, a minute ago. Except it’s not really doing anything, just watching you with as much curiosity as you were it, though with a much more cautious, restrained air. Has it been watching you in your sleep? Why? How long has it been there? And how long had you been asleep?

It doesn’t matter. All you know is you have to get out of dodge, as fast as possible. Your last escape attempt hadn’t been planned out, so you don’t see any reason to try planning one again. You could wing it- even though your body aches with an inner fire at every minuscule move. This thing watching you is inconsequential. You’re sure it was put here to stop any escapes on your part, and maybe it could- you’ve heard rumors that some possess telekinetic or even telepathic abilities- but those powers wouldn’t kick in before you timeskipped into the past, back to before you were brought here again. Whenever that was. Oh well, you could just go back a week, to be safe. Surely you couldn’t have been out cold for _that_ long.

Then again, you aren’t sure what having your soul nearly ripped out did to you.

Whatever. That was a problem for Future Dave to figure out. It was time to get moving. With a flick of your wrist, you manifest your timetables and-

Uh. Hello? You _said_ , you manifest your timetables.

Okay, you just woke up. You’re just not concentrating hard enough. You shake your head a little bit- whoops, now you have an ache growing behind your eyes- and flick your wrist again.

Still no timetables. Huh. Maybe you can just travel without them? It’s been a while since you did an unstable jump, but-

??????: WHATEVER YOU’RE TRYING TO DO, FORGET IT.

The mutant’s voice is raspy, louder than expected, and its tone is almost resigned. You lower your hands, giving the mutant your full attention again. Your attempt to reply comes in a croak, followed by a storm of coughing. Fuck, it feels like your vocal cords haven’t been used in decades. You clear your throat and try again.

DAVE: what

??????: YOUR POWERS AREN’T GONNA WORK. NOT AS LONG AS I’M HERE.

You stare at the mutant, your eyebrows lowering.

DAVE: what the fuck do you mean

DAVE: who are you

DAVE: what is going on

DAVE: and why does my door look different

It sighs, folding its arms across its chest. Should you be calling it an ‘it’? You’re not really sure how to address this… thing.

??????: LOOK, MAYBE IT WOULD BE BEST IF I LET SOMEONE ELSE EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

??????: THE CONDESCE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO WAKE UP.

You blanch at the name. You know exactly who the Condesce is. From the displeased look on your new friend’s face, it feels the same way about her as you do.

DAVE: okay hold on dude

DAVE: i literally just woke up feeling like i got run over by a train which then reversed and ran over me again

DAVE: idk if trains even can reverse but you get the idea

DAVE: and i find myself in my room with the wrong color of paint on the walls and some mutant watching me like a creepy perv

??????: I’M NOT A CREEPY PERV.

DAVE:sounds like something a creepy perv would say

??????: FUCK YOU.

DAVE: listen

DAVE: all i know is i got a month of blissful freedom before i got conked the fuck out and woke up back here

DAVE: and i find this random other watching me for some god damn reason

DAVE: and my powers arent working

DAVE: so before you shuttle me off to condy so she can gloat or punish me or whatever

DAVE: could you please just tell me whats going on

The Other sighs again, something resembling pity crossing its slightly inhuman features. It’s harder to read the emotions on its face, though you're not sure if that’s due to the unfamiliarity of its visage or if it’s just good at hiding its feelings. It _must_ be pity, though, because the mutant decides to answer some of your questions.

??????: MY NAME IS KARKAT VANTAS.

KARKAT: CONDY- THE *CONDESCE* MOVED ALL YOUR STUFF TO A DIFFERENT ROOM BECAUSE IT’S MORE SECURE. SHE PUT ME HERE TO WATCH YOU, AND I GUESS TO KEEP YOU FROM ESCAPING AGAIN. IT’S KIND OF MY ONLY ASSIGNMENT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

KARKAT: I’M THE REASON YOUR POWERS AREN’T WORKING. THAT’S *MY* WHOLE THING. TURNING OFF OTHER PEOPLES’ POWERS.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: that makes sense

DAVE: kinda lame power

KARKAT: YOU’RE TELLING ME.

DAVE: perfectly suited to this situation tho huh

DAVE: sucks that i cant escape thats a bummer

KARKAT: YEAH I BET IT IS.

KARKAT: IF IT’S ANY CONSOLATION, THIS SUCKS FOR ME, TOO. I DIDN’T EXACTLY WANT A BABYSITTING JOB.

DAVE: rude

DAVE: though to be fair i didnt exactly want a babysitter

DAVE: but ig condy cant leave me unsupervised after the last stunt i pulled

KARKAT: NO, I GUESS SHE CAN’T.

KARKAT: AND I CAN’T REALLY COMPLAIN. THIS IS ALL I’M GOOD FOR, REALLY.

DAVE: you dont seem too jazzed about it

KARKAT: CAN YOU BLAME ME? I’M BORN WITH SHITTY POWERS, AND THEY DELEGATE ME TO WATCHING A FLIGHT RISK TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN.

Wait, what?

DAVE: wait what

KARKAT: YOU HEARD ME. YOU’RE BOUND TO TRY TO LEAVE AS SOON AS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR POWERS. SO I HAVE TO STAY HERE, PRACTICALLY GLUED TO YOUR SIDE, UNTIL THEY DECIDE YOU’RE NO LONGER A RISK. OR UNTIL ONE OF US DIES. I WOULD PREFER IT *NOT* TAKE THAT LONG, THOUGH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DAVE: what the actual fuck

DAVE: this is bullshit

DAVE: why do they care so much

DAVE: why cant they just let me go

KARKAT: CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG, BUT I IMAGINE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT YOUR POWERS ARE JUST TOO GOOD TO LOSE.

KARKAT: AND AFTER ARADIA DITCHED TOWN I BET THEY’RE HURTING TO KEEP THEIR TIME MANIPULATORS CLOSE.

DAVE: what the hell is a radia

DAVE: im pretty sure youre not talking about that one arm bone 

KARKAT: UM.

KARKAT: FORGET I SAID THAT.

DAVE: are you telling me someone else has escaped before

KARKAT: FUCK. I REALLY SHOULDN’T HAVE SAID THAT.

DAVE: unbelievable

DAVE: whatever theyre crazy if they think im ever gonna use my powers to help them again

KARKAT: I DON’T THINK YOU HAVE A CHOICE.

DAVE: …

KARKAT: SHIT. I SHOULDN’T HAVE EVEN TALKED TO YOU AT ALL. CONDY’S GONNA WANT TO DEBRIEF YOU.

KARKAT: I SHOULD GO GET HER.

DAVE: wait

DAVE: karkat

DAVE: why are you even doing this

DAVE: it doesnt sound like you like being here either

DAVE: and i dont just mean stuck with me

KARKAT: …

KARKAT: I’M GOING TO GET THE CONDESCE.

KARKAT: DON’T TRY ANYTHING. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO.

It- _he? she? the Others might not be human, but they’re still people_ \- leaves the room through the only exit- the plain, unassuming iron door that stands out starkly from the plain, unassuming white wall surrounding it. You can see the lock turning from here.

You try flicking your wrist one last time, though you’re not very hopeful. Once again, where timetables should be is just empty space. And now that you’re awake enough, you finally notice it. The threads of time around you, the ones that you could always subconsciously sense idling around you, waiting for you to reach out and _pull_ \- they’re gone. Or, more likely, they’re still there, but you can’t feel them anymore.

Fuck. Looks like you’re screwed. But what more did you expect when trying to escape the clutches of the government’s most secretive program?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayy guess who finally posted a new fic. yep, its me.  
> this is a lot more ambitious plot-wise and character-wise than im used to so im kind of excited but also extremely nervous lol. ive never really done any huge plots so im hoping i can execute it well!
> 
> update schedule: to be determined. which is to say school just started and im not sure how much time ill have to work on this but i will keep yall informed. all i can promise is that they will happen at least once a month.


	2. The Condesce: Gloat to your recaptured escapee.

There are few things you love in this world. Money, fame, and power are all you really have left.

Gloating, though? That brings you undeniable pleasure.

Really, it wasn’t much of a surprise to you when you heard that A7 tried to escape. He had always given you trouble, shown reluctance to use his powers in the field. You’re pretty sure he’s even the one who coined that mockingly fanciful title-  _ Her Imperious Condescension _ . Though that never bothered you- in fact, it grew on you so much that you began adopting it, and eventually replaced your real name altogether. After all, it’s a pretty accurate description, and you have every right to condescend towards the ungrateful little suckers running around the facility. You  _ were _ the one to start this whole thing, of course- the Ability Conditioning Initiative wasn’t originally your idea, but you were responsible for its creation, as well as the creation of the facility. What your pride couldn’t stand, however, was that nickname. Condy? Really? It was degrading, and more than a little infantilizing.

So, no, you weren’t surprised when he escaped. He wasn’t even the first kid with time powers to try it- though she fared far better than him, so much so that you’re still not sure where B6 is. She at least had the good sense to not stir up trouble. But A7 was drawn to trouble, an unsuspecting fish mesmerized by the angler’s light, and it only got him caught in the end.

You would never admit it to him, but he was just too valuable to lose. Besides the fact that you couldn’t exactly let him spill the ACI facility’s best-kept secrets, he  _ was _ one of the few people with control over time left. And he was damn good at what he did, too.

You walk the pristine, overly-futuristic hallways towards his room. You never did like the design of the place much- too bright, too monotone, too elegantly simple- but you suppose that’s what you get for outsourcing to someone who actually gave a fuck. Your decorating tastes were a little more… decadent. You could never have too much gold.

You sense him before you actually see him, your awareness of your powers snapping off as you get near. B1 is waiting for you outside the door, arms crossed, little claws tapping on the forearm of his sweater. He was your first experiment into the inhuman, your first foray into pushing the limits of the Heightening, and he largely proved to be a disappointment- no power of his own except to shut others down, and he couldn’t even control it. But after that first mishap, the kinks were smoothed out, and you created some of the strongest beings on the planet- that is, with the help of your team. You’re pretty much all that’s left of that team, though that’s exactly how you like it. Sole control of powerful sub-humans? Don’t mind if you do.

THE CONDESCE: so hes awake

B1: THAT’S WHAT I SAID, DIDN’T I?

THE CONDESCE: dont get fresh with me small fry

B1: SORRY.

THE CONDESCE: yeah you beta be sorry

B1: I’M JUST SAYING, I WOULDN’T HAVE CALLED YOU AND SAID “HE’S AWAKE” IF HE WASN’T.

THE CONDESCE: listfin b1-

B1: YOU CAN CALL US BY OUR NAMES, YOU KNOW. WE HAVE NAMES.

THE CONDESCE: listfin b1

B1: UGH

THE CONDESCE: this attitude of yours aint gonna cut it round here got it

THE CONDESCE: dont expect me to tolerate that shit

THE CONDESCE: i got enough of that from that dumbass in there and we both know what harpooned to him

B1: … HARPOONED?

THE CONDESCE: you know what i fuckin meant

B1: I NEVER UNDERSTOOD YOUR INSISTENCE ON THE FISH PUNS.

THE CONDESCE: well good thing its not your place to question superiors

B1: IT JUST DOESN’T STRIKE ME AS VERY INTIMIDATING. BETWEEN THE GOOFY PUNS AND THE NICKNAME, WHO’S TO SAY YOU EVEN ARE SUPERIOR?

Cod, you wish you could strangle this kid. Telepathically, you mean. Sure, you could do it with your physical hand, but that would be admitting he won, wouldn’t it? He knows you can’t use your powers on him and he always loves to taunt you with it.

Still, you have to exert your dominance somehow. Kicking him in the stomach should work.

He keels over like a sinking ship, clutching his stomach with both hands, muttering a string of curses just loud enough to hear.

THE CONDESCE: does that answer your question

THE CONDESCE: i may not be able to fling you around with my mind but i can still hurt you small fry

THE CONDESCE: besides

THE CONDESCE: not only am i far older than you but im also the ruler of this place

THE CONDESCE: so dont try me

B1: N-NOTED.

THE CONDESCE: i do the fish puns because im a fucking fish lady

THE CONDESCE: i dont need to explain further than that do i

B1: NO.

B1: NO, YOU DON’T.

THE CONDESCE: good

THE CONDESCE: now get outta my sight

He stumbles back to his feet, staring at the floor now. You suppose he’s lost the nerve to make eye contact with you. That’s perfectly fine as far as you’re concerned.

B1: BUT… WHAT ABOUT, UH, A7?

THE CONDESCE: lmao how rich

THE CONDESCE: you lecture me on usin your name but dont even bother to learn his

B1: I… FORGOT TO ASK HIM. I MEAN, YOU TOLD ME TO CALL YOU AS SOON AS HE WOKE UP.

B1: yeah i guess i did

THE CONDESCE: but i bet you talked to him a bit didnt you

B1: … I DID.

THE CONDESCE: and you didnt ask for his name

B1 … NO.

THE CONDESCE: youre a piece of work b1

THE CONDESCE: fo real tho imma need you to get outta here

B1: BUT WON’T HE TRY TO ESCAPE?

THE CONDESCE: hell try but dont worry ill get my powers back too once youre far enough

THE CONDESCE: and i plan on using them

B1’s ashen face pales a little more at the idea. He’s never experienced your powers personally, but he’s seen you in action. You’re not really known for holding back, not even when it comes to your own… recruits.

THE CONDESCE: once i go in just get far enough away that i can school this ho

THE CONDESCE: dont stray too far tho i will need you back in here when im done

THE CONDESCE: you must be so excited you finally get to be useful to me again

B1: … YEAH.

THE CONDESCE: alright scram

Without waiting for a reply, you barge into A7’s room, slamming the door shut behind you. He’s standing, back to the wall, clearly waiting for you, staring at you through those ridiculous shades. The audacity of this little punk never ceases to amaze you.

A7: hey condy what up

See? Sheer, unadulterated audacity. Makes you sick to your stomach. He thinks he has power over you? Forget it.

He may not know it, but B1 won’t be out there to protect him from you soon enough.

THE CONDESCE: a7 a delight as always

A7: its dave

THE CONDESCE: yeah well conchsider this

THE CONDESCE: my name aint condy

A7: wow shocker of the century

A7: really her name is meenah never wouldve guessed

A7: its not like she conditioned us all into worshipping her or anything

THE CONDESCE: shut it

THE CONDESCE: i dont got the patience to deal with you

THE CONDESCE: you know how much troububble you coulda caused me

THE CONDESCE: i got a reputation to uphold and your little escape attempt nearly threw a spear into that

A7: like i give a shit

You see the moment his powers return to him- his fingers twitch, his stance shifting. He’s a lot easier to read than he likes to think. Before he can do any timestream-pulling, though, you feel your own power surge back in, and just like that you have a hold on him. Telekinetically, of course. Mind control-  _ telepathy, whatever _ \- is a little harder to do on the less susceptible humans like him. But all you really need is to bind his arms to his sides and clamp his jaw shut. If you slam him against the wall a little, well, who can blame you when there’s no one to see?

THE CONDESCE: listfin you bottomfeeding scum

THE CONDESCE: youre gonna learn some manners

THE CONDESCE: and youre gonna learn to respect my authority

THE CONDESCE: or youre gonna be forced to

THE CONDESCE: we both know i aint above using mind control methods to get upstarts like you to comply

THE CONDESCE: and unless you start doing so willingly you aint gonna see the outside of your room

THE CONDESCE: forget your friends forget your siblings forget your time travelin and espeshelly forget any hope of escape

THE CONDESCE: because it aint happenin fool

THE CONDESCE: got it

THE CONDESCE: oh whats that fish got your tongue

THE CONDESCE: thats what i thought

THE CONDESCE: i could stand here all day and really punish you but ive got much more important shit on my plate than dealing with chum like you

THE CONDESCE: but i think you know whatll harpoon if you act up again

THE CONDESCE: sea ya around

You saunter out of the room, keeping your hold on him tight as you signal B1 from down the hall. He hurries back, your powers snapping off again as soon as he’s close enough, but that’s fine by you, content in the knowledge that he has the little time-traveling brat under control as well. You shove him in with a little wave and lock the door again, before heading off down the hall.

Yeah. Feels good to show them who’s in charge around here. It’s you. You’re the boss. The boss is you.

And you’ll be damned if you let some escape-crazy runt take that away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing the condesce's pov is lowkey kinda fun! i should do this more often  
> also ive kind of figured out how much free time i have and for at least the next two months yall can expect an update every wednesday! after that... we'll see what happens lmao.  
> 


	3. Karkat: Try to get used to your new living situation.

So far, you’re failing spectacularly at getting used to your new living situation. It’s been two hours since the Condesce shoved you back in here, and he’s still sulking. You can’t blame him, really- you’d be sulking too if you were in his shoes. Wanting to escape this exploitative hellhole. Hating Condy for controlling you, for throwing you around just to humiliate you. But you’re not in his shoes- you’re _not_. You don’t want to escape, not when everyone you care about is here. Sure, maybe you don’t exactly like being here, especially not with how the Condesce has treated some of your friends in the past. But you can’t do anything about that. And maybe you do hate her for that, but at least she can’t control you. At least, not telepathically. She has her ways, though. She knows just how much you care about those friends, and she always manages to get as much power over someone as she can.

Still, you do like that you can unnerve her. She doesn’t like being around you, feeling even the slightest bit powerless. So you get close to her as often as you can.

Not that you can do that now, though. Again, see above: new living situation. New _permanent_ living situation. A7- that’s his designation, anyway; you still don’t know his name- has been ignoring you for the past two hours, though you haven’t made any attempts at conversation. He threw himself into doing something on his computer, possibly trying to blow off steam- because it’s clear to you he’s brimming with anger, especially when he spends the first few minutes complaining under his breath about being cut off from texting his friends. You were cut off from your own friends- the Condesce made some pithy excuse about not wanting to ‘compromise’ A7’s position or whatever- though, even if you weren’t, the only way you had to communicate with them was your computer, and that thing was in your room, along with all of your other personal belongings. You kind of wished you’d brought _some_ of your things here, but you suppose it’s too late for that now. All you have are changes of clothes.

Point is, you’re getting bored just sitting here, watching him. It’s obvious he doesn’t feel comfortable with your presence either, and you think it doesn’t even really have to do with your powers, or the reason you’re here. It might not even be the fact that you’re a freak of nature that’s off-putting to him- though you wouldn’t blame him if it was, since even the Heightened humans in the facility aren’t used to seeing the Others that often. No, you think he might just be that fucking anxious.

Then again, what the fuck do you know? You just met this dude. You don’t know him. You don’t know what he could possibly be feeling. You just know the way he never completely turns his back on you shows he’s got some major anxiety about how you’re just sitting here, watching him. So maybe you should stop being so hopelessly awkward and make the most out of this situation. You know. Instead of just. Sitting here. Watching him.

KARKAT: WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

He slides off the headphones he was using with the turntables, glancing back at you. At least, you think he’s looking in your direction- at some point between you leaving and being practically thrown back in by the Condesce, the dude had slipped on some ridiculously oversized shades. His eyebrows are drawn, possibly because he’s suspicious of you, sure, but it could be that he’s maybe also a little relieved you’re trying to break the awkward tension. You really fucking hope that’s relief you’re seeing.

A7: sorry what

KARKAT: WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

He turns around fully to face you, the confusion clear on his face.

A7: you mean condy didnt tell you my name in whatever debriefing sess you got for this mission

KARKAT: NO. SHE ONLY REFERRED TO YOU AS A7.

KARKAT: BESIDES, THERE WASN’T REALLY A DEBRIEFING? THIS ISN’T EVEN A FUCKING MISSION, I NEVER GET MISSIONS. NONE OF THE OTHERS DO.

KARKAT: OKAY, WELL MAYBE *ONE* DOES, BUT THAT’S FAIRLY RECENT.

KARKAT: CONDY JUST KINDA TOLD ME THE GIST AND TOSSED ME IN HERE LIKE YESTERDAY’S TRASH.

A7: hah typical fucking condy i shoulda known

A7: dave

KARKAT: WHAT?

A7: my name

A7: you asked

A7: its dave

A7: dave strider

KARKAT: OH

KARKAT: UH

KARKAT: NICE TO MEET YOU, DAVE.

DAVE: karkat right

KARKAT: YEAH.

DAVE: nice to meet you too karkat

DAVE: even under what i would say are the worst possible circumstances

DAVE: i guess it could be worse we coulda been like

DAVE: on opposite sides of a fucking war

DAVE: accidentally somehow end up in the same trench without realizing it

DAVE: we dont even notice were both backing up towards each other until we bump together

DAVE: asscheek to asscheek

DAVE: we swivel around with our guns in each others faces

DAVE: you know what at least that scenario isnt awkward as hell

DAVE: at least theres protocol for how to approach that situation

DAVE: just shoot

DAVE: there aint protocol for two dudes getting locked in a room together to keep one of them from escaping a nightmare of a government facility

DAVE: wait what the fuck never mind i just described prison

DAVE: that is basically just how the jail system works

Wow, this dude talks a whole fucking lot once he gets going. If you’d known that literally all you had to do was start the conversation, you would’ve done it hours ago.

DAVE: okay so i guess this is like fucking prison huh i mean obviously im being held here against my will

DAVE: unjustifiably so btw i was not given the due process of the law i aint done nothing wrong

DAVE: except for that escape attempt but i still shouldnt have been in here anyway

DAVE: so ig i should go by prison protocol

DAVE: except my inmate buddy happens to not really be an inmate and was just put in here to keep me from escaping

DAVE: shit does that make you the guard fuck

DAVE: that totally screws up this-

KARKAT: DAVE I’M REALLY GLAD WE GOT A CONVERSATION GOING NOW. BUT JESUS FUCKING CHRIST DO YOU HAVE AN OFF SWITCH?

DAVE: oh

DAVE: haha shit sorry

DAVE: i really just ran with that one didnt i

DAVE: i can get a little caught up in that shit if someone doesnt stop me sorry man

DAVE: runaway train never going back as the song goes

KARKAT: IT’S FINE. HONESTLY I PREFER IT TO THE MIND-NUMBING BOREDOM THE PAST TWO HOURS HAVE BEEN.

DAVE: word

DAVE: anyway forget protocol we can just do this our own way

DAVE: the dave and karkat way

DAVE: which im gonna start off real poorly 

DAVE: ive got an absolute humdinger of a question you ready for this one

KARKAT: …

KARKAT: I’M READY. I GUESS.

DAVE: hell yeah okay so check it

DAVE: ive never really

DAVE: uh

DAVE: talked to someone like you

DAVE: you know uh

KARKAT: A MUTANT?

DAVE: well i didnt really wanna use that word

KARKAT: THERE ISN’T REALLY AN OFFICIAL WORD. I MEAN MOST PEOPLE JUST CALL US “THE OTHERS” BUT THAT SOUNDS STUPID AS HELL. SO “MUTANT” IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THING TO A RIGHT ANSWER.

DAVE: right

DAVE: then yeah i guess if youre fine with it ill just call you a mutant

DAVE: like i was saying ive never even really interacted with one in person thanks to condy being insane about it and completely separating yall from the rest of the heightened

DAVE: so like i wanted to just get this outta the way

DAVE: …

KARKAT: WHAT?

DAVE: do yall use pronouns

KARKAT: OH MY GOD.

DAVE: shit fuck sorry

KARKAT: NO I’M JUST.

KARKAT: *SNORT*

DAVE: uh

KARKAT: HAHAHAHAHA!

DAVE: uhhhh

KARKAT: HOLY FUCK DUDE *THAT’S* YOU’RE QUESTION?

DAVE: um yeah

KARKAT: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

DAVE: uh

DAVE: i just didnt wanna keep calling you an ‘it’ in my head you know

DAVE: like youre clearly a person youve got thoughts and feelings and shit

DAVE: even if youre not exactly human i shouldnt be objectifying you

KARKAT: JESUS.

KARKAT: YEAH THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE OFFENSIVE.

KARKAT: HAHAHA.

DAVE: you dont really sound like youre taking offense to it though

KARKAT: I MEAN YOU SAID YOURSELF YOU’VE NEVER REALLY TALKED TO SOMEONE LIKE ME.

KARKAT: OF COURSE YOU’RE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS.

KARKAT: THE FACT THAT YOU’RE CONSCIENTIOUS OF MY FEELINGS SHOWS THAT YOU’RE ACTIVELY TRYING TO *NOT* BE A COMPLETE ASSHOLE.

KARKAT: BUT SERIOUSLY, OF ALL THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO ASK YOUR MUTANT PRISON GUARD, YOU DECIDE TO ASK ABOUT PRONOUNS?

KARKAT: DO YOU NOT SEE HOW RIDICULOUS THIS SITUATION IS?

KARKAT: FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY LET'S HOPE ALIENS DON'T EXIST. OR, IF THEY DO, YOU NEVER MEET ONE.

KARKAT: YOU'LL SKIP ASKING IF THEY "COME IN PEACE" AND GET STRAIGHT INTO THEIR PREFERRED PRONOUNS. 

KARKAT: JESUS.

DAVE: haha okay i guess youve got a point there

DAVE: so um what should i be calling you instead of ‘it’

KARKAT: TRY ‘HE/HIM’. ‘THEY’ IS FINE, TOO. REALLY JUST ANYTHING ASIDE FROM ‘IT’.

DAVE: aight

DAVE: will now be referring to karkat as a he or they

KARKAT: THANK YOU.

DAVE: no problemo

DAVE: pronouns are very important that shit is friendship 101

KARKAT: IS IT?

KARKAT: UM. I GUESS I SHOULD ASK WHAT YOURS ARE INSTEAD OF ASSUMING YOU’RE COOL WITH ‘HE’?

DAVE: oh uh dont worry dawg

DAVE: i am the most cool with he

DAVE: me and he are chilling together in my man cave popping a few brewskis and watching the big game on my new thousand inch flatscreen

KARKAT: OKAAAAAAAY. YOU’RE WEIRD AS HELL.

DAVE: bro speak for yourself

KARKAT: …

DAVE: oh shit is that speciesist

DAVE: god lets really hope i never meet any aliens because what the fuck

DAVE: i swear i didnt mean it that way you just-

KARKAT: IT’S OKAY. I MEAN, YOU HAVE A POINT.

DAVE: no no dude you don’t have to be okay with it

DAVE: jesus i totally just said some awful speciesist shit

KARKAT: CALM DOWN, DAVE. REALLY, IT’S FINE.

KARKAT: I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF WE’RE CONSIDERED SEPARATE SPECIES OR NOT? IT’S HONESTLY A HUGE FUCKING GRAY AREA AND CONDY DOESN’T GIVE ENOUGH OF A SHIT TO ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE TO FIGURE IT OUT.

KARKAT: WE’RE JUST AN UNNATURAL AMALGAMATION OF GENETICS AND POORLY-UNDERSTOOD POWER, MIXED IN WITH ABSTRACT CONCEPTS. YOU’RE NOT WRONG TO CALL US “WEIRD”.

KARKAT: BECAUSE WE ARE. THE OTHERS ARE FUCKING WEIRD AS HELL. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON WITH US.

You think you’ve made it abundantly clear exactly how you feel about your own existence. It sucks not understanding what the fuck you are. It sucks knowing that you were created, using methods that are completely un-researched and practically incomprehensible. It sucks knowing that you’re a monster, that you can’t help being one, and that people, even pityingly kind people like Dave, are gonna always see those monstrous parts of you before anything else.

DAVE: i still shouldnt have said that

DAVE: so for what its worth im sorry

KARKAT: LISTEN, I’M THE ONE WHO CALLED YOU WEIRD FIRST. I THINK THAT WAS JUST AS UNCALLED-FOR.

DAVE: naw dude youre right im hella weird

DAVE: half of my conversations end up being me just rambling on elaborate extended metaphors for no fucking reason

DAVE: and most of the time i end up just having a full course meal of my own foot as i shove it deeper and deeper into my mouth

DAVE: example one: literally thirty seconds ago when i implied that you were weird just by the nature of what you are

DAVE: oh and did i mention the constant freudian slips that i never catch

DAVE: because my filter is so beyond broken and i just let those things through without fail

KARKAT: WELL YOU CERTAINLY DO TALK A LOT.

KARKAT: THAT’S NOT A BAD THING, THOUGH. IF I’M GONNA BE STUCK WITH ANYONE FOR A LONG TIME I WOULD PREFER IT BE SOMEONE WHO’S WILLING TO FILL THE SILENCE.

DAVE: word

You mean what you’re saying- Dave doesn’t seem like the worst person to be locked into a room with for the rest of your life. In fact, you’d even go as far as to say he seems pretty nice. You gotta hand it to him, he’s kinda taking this whole thing in stride. You think you’d probably still be screaming obscenities into your pillow if you were in his shoes. At the very least, you wouldn’t be this welcoming to the only person keeping you trapped.

KARKAT: THANKS.

DAVE: uh

DAVE: for what

KARKAT: FOR NOT MAKING THIS MORE AWKWARD THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: right back atcha dude

DAVE: you make for a pretty decent eternal roommate

KARKAT: HAHA. SURE.

You think you could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone enjoyed the detour back into my comfort zone (davekat banter) but our next stop is new territory (not davekat! crazy) so buckle up bcuz this tour's just getting started!  
> lmao idk what i was going for there ig im your fanfic tour guide now.


	4. Sollux: Quiet the voices in your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: suicidal ideation

You can’t.

They’ve been there all your life, of course. The psychic screams of those who are doomed to die soon, warning you, begging for help, driving you crazy. They never go away. Talk about a shitty power.

Of course, you do have telekinesis and freaky eye-lasers, but that just comes with being a science experiment, and telekinetics are a dime a dozen at this point. Sure, the voices have come in handy a few times- not necessarily for you, but for others- but mostly it just makes you want to get everything over with. You can hear your own voice in there sometimes, when the urge to bring doom upon yourself nears a tipping point. Something always stops you, though- as much as you hate the voices, hate being a mutant, hate being stuck in a facility that just uses you like a weapon, you still hear the desperation in your doomed voice. The you inside your head never sounds particularly jazzed about death.

The only reprieve you had was KK. His power-off switch wasn’t the only reason he became your best friend, but it certainly didn’t hurt his chances that being near him gave you blessed quiet. You were just lucky that you got along well with him, that you enjoyed each other's company, even if you ended up pissing each other off most of the time. He was idiotic, and funny, and self-deprecating as hell, but so were you. And, after a while, you realized he _wanted_ to be with you, too- because he wanted to help you, because he hated to see you suffer, because he was your _friend_ and he cared about you. You think that’s what really made you like him, that he cared so much, even if he tried not to show it.

You spent almost every moment you possibly could with him, until the Condesce needed you uninhibited for some mission or other. KK almost never got pulled away for a mission- he couldn’t control his powers at all, and trying to use him to subdue an enemy just made the rest of the team useless as well. But, honestly, you were fine with that, if it meant keeping KK all to yourself. You know it bothered him, though- he hated feeling useless, hated that he had no real abilities. You think he liked feeling useful to you, though, even if you stopped seeing him that way after a while. You didn’t hang out with him because he was _useful_. That would be a stupid reason to hang out with a person.

But of course everything good in your life had to be taken away. KK was given an actual assignment- as a permanent babysitter to some petulant brat who tried to escape. Yeah, okay, maybe you’re a little biased against this dude you’ve never met, since he stole your friend and all, but you shouldn’t be too hard on him. It’s not his _fault_ , exactly.

The logic doesn’t click in your mind, though. Whether or not he chose to take KK away from you, he was deemed important enough to need his powers deactivated to keep him from escaping again. And that made you hate him. You needed KK, too, probably more than this random kid did. He was one of the few things that kept you sane.

You really can’t blame the other dude, though. It’s not like you haven’t thought about escaping, too. But you wouldn’t want to leave without KK- hell, you probably couldn’t, not with how much you rely on him. But you also can’t escape without using your powers, which would mean leaving KK behind. Which is not an option. So you just keep wasting away in this cell they call your room, going mad from the voices.

Fuck it. They wanna take KK away from you? You’re not gonna let that happen.

You slam open the door to your room and storm through the halls, leaking psychic energy in a crackling display of red and blue lightning, but you don’t mind. You’re pissed, and you don’t care who knows it. You can see others scurrying back into their rooms, too afraid to get in your way. You make it to the Condesce’s suite- it’s basically a palace at this point, and you’re not sure why she still lives in the facility when it’s clear she gets more privileges than the rest of you- where two guards loiter outside. They’re just low-budget, unheightened, typical guards, with guns to supplant their lack of powers, and you could take them easily, but you decide to play it civilly. You don’t hear their voices in your head, so they’ll probably cooperate and you won’t have to kill them. Probably. Just in case, you keep the light show on, but suppress it enough to not seem _too_ threatening.

SOLLUX: ii2 2he iin there?

GUARD 1: Uhh…

One of the guards looks at the other, who just narrows his eyes at you.

GUARD 2: Is she expecting you?

SOLLUX: no. ii2 that goiing two be a problem?

GUARD 2: Well, she doesn’t usually have unexpected visitors.

SOLLUX: 2urprii2e.

You’re getting a little impatient. The light show is back to full height, and you can see one of the guards cringe back.

SOLLUX: look ju2t let me iin and you wont get hurt.

SOLLUX: you guy2 dont do 2hiit anyway. 2he can handle any threat two her liife much more quickly than 2ome dude2 wiith gun2.

SOLLUX: and no, before you a2k, iim not a threat two her. 2he could subdue me wiith a wave of her hand.

The incompetent guards glance at each other again, before one reluctantly steps aside.

GUARD 2: I’m following you in.

SOLLUX: great. feel free. a2 long a2 you dont get iin my way.

You push through the door, entering a lush foyer, gold trinkets glittering in every corner of the room. Her decorations are gaudy as hell, that’s for damn sure. You’ve been in here a few times, of course- most of the debriefings come straight from her, complete with a glitter-infested file. You make a beeline for her office, the more skeptical guard following behind you hastily. You barge into the room and find her lounging in a desk chair, feet propped up on a desk piled with more of those garish files. She narrows her eyes at you as you come in, as if expecting you. You have no idea what powers she’s accumulated, so it’s entirely possible she _did_ expect you.

SOLLUX: where ii2 kk?

THE CONDESCE: excuse me

SOLLUX: you heard me biitch.

SOLLUX: where ii2 kk?

She twitches, contemplating you as if you’re a particularly annoying bug she’s deciding whether or not to squash. You stand your ground, crossing your arms, pinning her with your gaze. You’re not gonna let up on this. Not this time.

They can’t take him away from you again.

THE CONDESCE: thats your nickname for b1 right

THE CONDESCE: hes with his new assignment obviously

SOLLUX: ii know that. ii want to know where that ii2.

THE CONDESCE: sorry b4 no can do

THE CONDESCE: its too risky to allow outside interference with a7

SOLLUX: bull2hiit. ii want two 2ee kk. you are goiing two let me 2ee kk.

THE CONDESCE: lemme guess

THE CONDESCE: you cant handle the noises in your head

THE CONDESCE: too dependant on your little power off switch

THE CONDESCE: youre weak just like mituna

You slam your hands down on the desk, sending a cloud of glitter into the air. The guard reaches for his holster, but the Condesce flicks her wrist and he goes still, frozen by her stolen powers. She continues to regard you with mild disgust.

SOLLUX: ii am not weak. and neiither ii2 miituna.

SOLLUX: admiit iit. there2 a rea2on you never took hii2 power. you 2aw what iit diid two hiim and youre afraiid you wont be able two 2tay 2ane eiither.

THE CONDESCE: i aint afraid of nofin

THE CONDESCE: in case you forgot i cant take his abilities till he kicks the bucket

THE CONDESCE: and i may be a lot of things but i aint the kind of person who krills their friends

THE CONDESCE: whale

THE CONDESCE: unless they give me no other choice

SOLLUX: ii dont care about your group2 drama.

SOLLUX: ii ju2t want two know where kk ii2.

THE CONDESCE: reely wish i could help you

THE CONDESCE: but since it dont seem to get through your thick skull ill repeat myself

THE CONDESCE: its too risky to let b1 out or you in

THE CONDESCE: now get the hell outta my office

THE CONDESCE: and dont even try to fight

THE CONDESCE: i would easily beat you even if i didnt currently have an armed guard under my control

You scowl at her, producing an animalistic growl that you’re pretty sure humans can’t do. She just laughs, humorless, and inclines her head to the door. She’s not controlling you, but she may as well be- you have no choice but to turn heel and stomp off. Though you do shove a few of those atrocious files onto the floor before exiting the room. The guard, apparently free of her grasp and dazed by it, stumbles after you, but you’re already long gone.

Fine. She wants to play it that way? There are other ways to locate KK.

All you gotta do is find the one spot you can’t hear the voices.

And you’ll tear this place down brick by brick if you have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love sollux. that's all there really is to say on the matter.


	5. Rose: See the future.

If only it were that simple.

For one, there is no set future, no main path that acts as _The Future_ , as much as you wish there was. At least that would give you a more proper guideline. No, the future is much hazier, branching paths so often that it becomes indistinguishable, looking less like a tree and more like an entire forest.

You’re sure it would be frustrating to try to glimpse into the future, when it’s something that doesn’t exist. No, all that exists are the millions of possibilities that could come to pass, anywhere and anytime on Earth. Sure, some of them might be statistically improbable, even practically impossible, but they still exist, another one of those nigh-untraceable paths that flows in and out of others like a particularly complicated river.

How fortunate for you that you don’t see it all. Your sight is a lot more specific. You see the futures that you consider most favorable and the steps leading to those futures. You are more of an advisor than a fortune teller, as anyone seeking your guidance would just have to follow your guidelines and they’d end up in whichever future they desire. There’s still a good deal of fog about it- even if there are much fewer possibilities, they are still theoretically infinite- but it’s easy to cut out less likely scenarios, separate the wheat from the chaff, and offer the best possible plans. It makes you a good strategist. No one can plan against a set future, but you can plan against a changeable one.

Which is why, when Dave had come to you asking for help with an escape plan, you’d declined to help. There were a few selfish reasons, of course. You’d grown up with him and considered him a best friend, practically a brother, so the idea of him leaving you didn’t seem all that _favorable_ to you. You didn’t even like the thought of joining him, completely dismissing it as soon as he offered it to you. Because, even if you jumped the mental hurdles and peered at the escape he found so favorable, you saw only misery. For him, for yourself, and for the entire planet. A lot of people, _important_ people, relied on your foresight, and Dave’s time abilities were too crucial to the plans you made. Not to mention that he was too unpredictable to be set loose on the world. You _saw_ that to allow him to leave, and you to leave with him, would be to allow the world to fall to pieces without your guidance. That certainly wasn’t favorable by anyone’s definition.

Of course, he was disappointed and hurt that you wouldn’t help him, that you heavily advised against an escape attempt. He apparently already got the spiel from his brother about how it was only right to stay in the facility, to use his powers for the good of society, and didn’t want to hear it again from you. You were certain you were right- you could _see_ it- but you didn’t interfere, out of love for him and respect of his decisions, misguided though they may be. Or maybe because you knew the odds of him not being eventually caught were so slim.

You didn’t even report him. After all, you hate the Condesce as much as anyone, for the control she exerts over you and your friends. She’s the main reason escaping sounds like a good idea, but your obligation to protecting the world always pulls you back.

You weren’t surprised when they brought Dave back, though you were a little shocked by the method- you didn’t know Dirk had that capability in him. You tried to visit him a few times, knowing that it must be weighing heavily on him, but he refused to answer the door. You just hope he recovers his senses soon, as he knows as well as you that his actions were necessary. Dave, on the other hand, is no longer allowed visitors. You worry for him just as much as you worry for Dirk, especially now that he is effectively isolated, but even if you could visit him, you’re not sure you would. You doubt he would even want you to visit- it’s likely that if you used your vision you would see that as an unfortunate certainty- and what could you even say that would comfort him? _I told you so?_ You would only exacerbate the problem.

So you continue to sit in your room, feeling especially useless. You provide insight on missions whenever the Condesce asks you for it, but that feels particularly pointless, even though you _know_ what you’re doing is helpful to the world.

Sometimes you wonder if what’s best for the world is also what’s best for you, or any of your friends. You’re not brave enough to look down those paths though, to limit your vision to what _you_ consider fortunate. That would be such a selfish, limited way to view the future. Besides, you already know what you would see, the things you want but refuse to take. You already know it could only lead to a world in chaos.

That doesn’t stop you from dreaming.

You feel the humming of power only seconds before the wall of your room begins crumbling, picked apart by a tendril of flashing energy. You scramble to your feet, reaching for your door to go out into the hall, but the door is smoothly wrenched off its hinges before you can even get to the doorknob. Startled, you run out and see what all the fuss is about.

The aggressor is floating in the middle of the hallway, energy outlining his body in a rapidly flashing light- red and blue and back again, almost like a police light. He’s one of the Others- same gray skin, sharp teeth, and pointed, black claws- but he is slightly different from the precious few you’ve seen. For one, he seems to have two sets of those ebony horns- small and sharp, jutting out from his close-cropped hair. His eyes are the most glaring difference, though- instead of the yellow-orange sclerae and unnaturally bright irises, they’re solidly colored, flickering between red and blue. He looks, for lack of a better word, pissed. Bricks and doors and ceiling tiles that he’d plucked from the rooms around you, most likely using telekinetic powers, drift around him like a makeshift shield. You can see the path of destruction down the hall. The other Heightened peek their heads out their doors, or from where a door used to be, take one look at the glowing menace taking up the hallway, and decide to not get involved. You sigh. Just a typical day in the ACI. Looks like, once again, they’ve left everything up to you.

You bring your hands up, manifesting wands woven in light-

Oh, did you not mention that earlier? That’s something you can do. You sometimes wonder why Meenah doesn’t put you out in the field more often, though you suppose she wouldn’t want to risk losing her favorite strategist. Not that your loss would be permanent, of course- she always found a way to bring her favorites back.

Anyway. You raise your wands, readying a blast of pure white light at the assailant, when a shout from behind you gives you pause.

KANAYA: Stop! Please Do Not Hurt Him

You turn to give this person a glare for interrupting you, only to freeze when you see them. It is another one of the Others- really, someone should think of a better name for them- and you recognize her. You don’t really _know_ her, of course, but she’s one of the few that gets missions regularly and you’ve shared a passing glance more than once. Your glances might’ve been a tad _too_ appreciative, but who could blame you? There was a reason she caught your eye- in fact, it was the same reason she had been the first of Meenah’s efforts to introduce the Others into the world. She was _beautiful_ , in that ethereal, otherworldly way only something slightly inhuman could look. The long, tapering horns that rose from carefully swept-up hair, the jade-green eyes that pierced right through you, the small fangs poking out from between darkly shining lips, the glow coming off her skin- and you do mean _literal_ glow- that framed her high cheekbones just right. Human or not, she was simply elegant, and you could admire that. Not that you particularly cared whether or not they actually _were_ human- the Condesce tried to keep them separate as much as possible, perhaps to drive in the fact that they were different, but you never particularly saw them that way. They were just like the rest of the Heightened, gifted with powers no one quite understood. The only real difference was that, for them, something had gone wrong.

You lower your wands as she approaches, the worry on her face clear as she stares up at the boy- and he _really_ is just a boy, now that you take a closer look. She shouts to him, though she keeps whatever panic she may be feeling out of her voice.

??????: Sollux Please You Need To Calm Down

??????: ii have two fiind hiim, ga. dont try two 2top me.

??????: This Will Not Help You Find Him

??????: ii dont care. he2 guardiing 2ome human. 2o he ha2 to be here 2omewhere.

??????: You Are Only Going To Get Yourself Hurt

ROSE: Is that his name? Sollux?

She looks at you with mild surprise, as though she had already forgotten you were here or that you’d been two seconds away from blasting her friend out of the sky. After a quick perusal of you, where you think you see recognition light in her eyes, she seems to decide you’re not a threat at the moment, possibly due to your compliance and lowered weapons. Which is hardly fair- if you wanted to, you could really do some damage before she had time to consider stopping you- though you guess she can tell that, for now, you’re not inclined to attack. She flashes you a tight smile.

??????: Yes

??????: That Is Indeed His Name

??????: And He Doesnt Intend To Hurt Anyone

??????: Well Perhaps That Isnt Entirely True

??????: He Might Be Inclined To Hurt The Condesce If He Could But That Is Beside The Point

ROSE: Well, if he doesn’t stop throwing this psionic tantrum, what he does or does not intend to happen won’t matter.

As if on cue, a particularly fast brick hurtles past your head. You stare at it pointedly as it arcs into Sollux’s ever-growing shield, then look back at the girl next to you.

ROSE: So, what do you propose we do? How do we get him to stop?

??????: Im Not Sure

??????: Hes Doing This To Try To Find One Of Our Friends

??????: But Retrieving Said Friend Is Unfortunately Not An Option As Long As The Condesce Has A Say In It

ROSE: That certainly is unfortunate. Any other ideas?

??????: You Are A Seer Correct

??????: Can You See The Future

ROSE: More or less. Give me a moment, please. Try to reason with him in the meantime.

You duck back into your room, settling into a legs-crossed seated position on your bed, and close your eyes to the girl’s anxious looks. And then, you _see_.

It’s not hard to spot the most fortunate outcome- calming this Sollux guy down. But it’s much harder to ignore all the less fortunate timelines- ones where Sollux freaks out, or where he uses so much energy he burns out, ones where you or the girl or the others get hurt or worse. You can use that information, though, as difficult as it is to watch yourself and your… colleague? acquaintance? get blasted by a stray psionic ray. You survey the events leading up to a favorable outcome, picking out the more possible ones, and make a plan. Satisfied, you open your eyes again.

Only a few minutes passed, but the situation had considerably worsened. The girl- you really must ask for her name soon; you think Sollux called her GA- is still shouting up at Sollux, her voice no longer calm, because at this point he’s completely ignoring her, floating further down the hallway, ripping up the foundation with a lot less grace. You run out to meet her.

ROSE: I have a plan. Just follow my lead.

??????: Wait Thats All Youre Giving Me

ROSE: There’s no time to explain. Go with your instincts.

??????: Thats Not The Most Comforting Thing To Hear From A Master Strategist But Alright

ROSE: On the contrary, I'd say it's the easiest battle plan I could give you.

You grin at her, then focus back on your retreating quarry. With a forcefulness you weren’t quite sure you had, you yell.

ROSE: SOLLUX! YOU NEED TO STOP!

He turns, a look of mild annoyance on his face. Good. You got his attention.

SOLLUX: can you two pii22 off? iim not goiing two 2top untiil ii fiind hiim.

ROSE: This isn’t going to work, Sollux.

SOLLUX: fuck you! how would you know?

ROSE: I can see the future.

His eyes narrow, the flashing dying down a bit. He’s sizing you up, you realize, probably trying to figure out if you’re being truthful. Time to double down.

ROSE: Need proof? I know that if you don’t stop soon, you’ll burn out.

SOLLUX: … yeah, ii gue22. but 2o what? eiither way ii get what ii want. no more voiice2 2creamiing iin my head.

ROSE: And, pray tell, how exactly would your missing friend feel about that?

That makes him freeze, an acute pain clear on his face. Then he snaps out of it, flying towards you with surprising speed, stopping inches from your face. The control he has is outstanding, and it makes you wonder, briefly, why you’ve never met him before. Surely his powers would be useful on missions.

SOLLUX: that2 none of your bu2iine22. you dont even know hiim.

??????: But She Has A Point

His head snaps towards GA, the malicious intent fading from his eyes- at least, that’s how you _choose_ to interpret it when the flashing colors stop completely.

SOLLUX: ga ii dont want two hear iit.

??????: But You Should

??????: As Someone Who Does Know Karkat Im Sure He Would Not Want You Throwing Yourself Into Dangerously Reckless Behavior For His Sake

??????: And He Definitely Wouldnt Want You Hurting Yourself Or Others

You almost want to give GA a thumbs up, or a wink, you’re so proud. She did exactly what you needed her to. Although, maybe her doing what you saw as a near certainty isn’t much to be proud of. Oh, well, you'll be proud anyway.

Sollux is flagging now, the aura around him fading, his feet slowly lighting on the floor. The debris cloud that was following him falls, the pile spreading down the hallway.

SOLLUX: but… ii have two fiind hiim. ii need two.

??????: I Promise We Will

??????: Together

??????: Using Much More Practical And Non Life Threatening Measures

??????: Perhaps We Could Just Locate Him By Finding An Area Of The Facility Where Our Powers Disconnect

SOLLUX: … okay. that miight work.

SOLLUX: we could do that.

GA pats him on the back, smiling softly. You step away, giving them some room.

??????: But First Why Dont We Go Find Another Telekinetic To Clean This Mess

SOLLUX: yeah. iim a liittle two draiined two put iit all back my2elf.

SOLLUX: be2iide2 ii dont miind makiing more work for condy.

As they walk away, GA shoots you a grateful look.

??????: Thank You

ROSE: Wait! What’s your name?

Sollux groans at this, the faint light of his eyes shifting in a way that you _think_ is him rolling them, but GA just grins at you.

??????: Kanaya Maryam

ROSE: That’s quite a lovely name. Mine is Rose Lalonde.

KANAYA: It Seems There Are Lovely Names Abound In This Hallway

The line, as simple and cheesy as it is, makes your cheeks heat up. You just hope the blush isn’t obvious enough for either of them to notice.

ROSE: I’ll see you around, Kanaya.

KANAYA: Likewise Rose

You return to your room, although the destroyed walls and missing door provide little privacy. Only here do you allow yourself to truly smile.

You must admit, all your searching for outcomes of Dave’s escape never revealed one so fortunate as this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we love introducing characters, slowly but surely.


	6. Kanaya: Do not obsessively think about Rose.

You fail to not obsessively think about Rose.

You, along with an armed guard, are leading Sollux back to his room, after having informed the Condesce of the destruction Sollux caused- it gave you much satisfaction to hear she had to fix everything herself. Sollux was, of course, in an inordinate amount of trouble, but that was to be expected. It wasn’t a harsh punishment, though, just a few days of being locked in his room- he was too important an asset to risk losing. He was understandably livid about it, though.

SOLLUX: 2he really thiink2 2he can lock me iin here?

SOLLUX: diid 2he forget iim p2iioniic?

SOLLUX: ii can ju2t a2 ea2iily unlock the door. and take out thii2 pathetic guard.

The guard side-eyes Sollux, his hand tightening on his gun, but you both ignore him. When you’d first told the Condesce what Sollux did, she had insisted a guard immediately take him to his room without you, but you expressed enough distaste of that idea that she let you see him off.

KANAYA: All That Would Accomplish Would Be An Extension To Your Sentence

SOLLUX: yeah well iid rather get punii2hed for ‘bad behaviior’ than let her tell me what to do.

KANAYA: Sollux Youre Going To Have To Play Along For The Time Being

KANAYA: Acting Irrationally Will Get You No Closer To Finding Karkat

SOLLUX: wow look at you beiing the voice of rea2on.

KANAYA: Someone Here Has To Be

As was previously mentioned, you are still thinking about Rose. You’ve met her before, in the debriefings for the few times you’ve been sent out into the field. The Condesce considers you the “soft launch” of your kind- experimentally warped mirrors of humanity- to the general public, since you’re considered the most appealing to look at. Due to your strange luminescence, your skin is a much lighter gray than the rest of your friends, closer to a human shade. And you know how some humans have an... _unfortunate bias_ when it comes to skin color. Plus, your powers aren’t the most intimidating- just space manipulation, no big deal- so the majority of humanity won’t find you too terrifyingly different. Then again, they’ve never seen what you can do with a weapon. Not to mention that humanity tends to not be very welcoming to anything they consider ‘different’.

Every time you saw Rose, she struck you as interesting- aside from her regal, poised beauty, she had an aura of power around her, a draw that pulled you in. And whenever she looked into the future, or whatever it was she did- you’d heard an explanation once and it wasn’t _quite_ seeing the future- her eyes shone brighter than your skin. You’d felt an urge to introduce yourself to her, but between your apprehension given what you are and the Condesce’s insistence that your kind interact with humans as little as possible, you always lost the nerve.

But today, when she had rushed out to confront Sollux, her wands of woven light crackling in her hands, you had seen a beautiful, ferocious power, one you couldn’t deny being drawn to, even as you rushed to stop her from hurting your friend. Then she’d charmed you with her savviness, her humor, her quick thinking.

This was dangerous territory you were headed towards, nursing an infatuation for someone you rarely saw, someone you barely knew, someone who you weren’t even really supposed to interact with. Then again, it was as familiar as it was dangerous. You’d felt that same draw towards Vriska, until you realized too late that she was a flame you should never have dared to come close to. The games she played burned you and half of your friends. You’re still amicable with her- you have to be, she’s one of the few people you ever get to talk to- but you're distant, apprehensive of letting yourself get too close. You only hope you need not show the same restraint towards Rose.

You realize you’ve been quiet, and Sollux is staring at you.

SOLLUX: what are you thiinkiing about?

KANAYA: …

KANAYA: Vriska

SOLLUX: oh, that biitch? dont let her liive rent free iin your head.

KANAYA: Well Its Not Just Her

KANAYA: I Was Thinking About The Impact She Had On Our Friends

SOLLUX: yeah 2he really had fun fuckiing wiith u2. ii 2tiill cant beliieve the 2hiit 2he made me do to aa ju2t becau2e of 2ome petty a22 fiight.

You almost forgot Sollux was just as affected by her as you were. Maybe it’s because he uses his apathy to cover those feelings up.

SOLLUX: why are you thiinkiing about her? diid 2he do 2ome more crazy biitch 2tuff becau2e ii cant 2ee any other rea2on two let her occupy any part of your braiin.

KANAYA: No

KANAYA: She Just Came To Mind

KANAYA: Honestly Something About Rose Reminded Me Of Her

SOLLUX: really? ii dont 2ee iit.

SOLLUX: ii mean a2iide from the iin2anely iimpre22iive power2 ii gue22. iim 2ure 2he2 dangerou2 but 2he doe2nt 2eem like 2he would u2e that two her advantage liike ag did. 2he diidnt have two help u2 but 2he diid.

SOLLUX: then agaiin what the fuck do ii know ii only ju2t met her.

KANAYA: No You Have A Point

SOLLUX: 2ee youre not the only one who can be a voiice of rea2on.

You laugh, surprised. You suppose he is right- Rose _had_ helped you, while the few others you’d seen peeking their heads into the hallway decided to stay in the relative safety of their rooms. Still, you can’t shake the feeling that she’s someone to be wary of.

You just hope your admiration doesn’t blind you to that.

You arrive at Sollux’s room, and the guard gives you a look, as if to say _hurry it up_. You glare back at him, before patting Sollux’s back.

KANAYA: I Guess Thats My Cue To Leave

SOLLUX: you promii2e youll help me fiind kk?

KANAYA: Of Course I Will

KANAYA: I Promise

KANAYA: I Miss Him As Much As You

You honestly can’t say that’s a lie. Though you don’t rely on Karkat’s unique ability the way Sollux does, you still consider him one of your closest friends. It made you undeniably mad that the Condesce had just plucked him away from you all without warning. You weren’t even allowed to _communicate_ with him. It seemed his new assignment as a glorified guard to some human was punishing him as much as it was his charge. No freedom, no friends, just an eternity spent with a stranger. You hope he’s okay, that he’s getting along well with the former escapee, whoever they are.

The corners of Sollux’s mouth flick up, the closest he ever really gets to smiling anymore, before retreating into his room. The guard immediately positions himself in front of the door, sliding the lock into place.

GUARD: Run along now, freak.

You frown at him, before reaching into your pocket and pulling out your most trusted weapon- a tube of lipstick. He watches in disbelief as you apply it, and you cock your head to one side. Then, with nothing but a twitch of your index finger, your powers blare to life, and with them your lipstick, a roar filling the hall as it expands, suddenly, into an extremely loud and extremely real chainsaw. Your two-in-one weapon-and-fashion-accessory is one of the best perks of your abilities with space manipulation. The guard takes a step back, eyes wide, one cautionary hand drifting towards his holster.

KANAYA: Sorry Did You Say Something

KANAYA: Im Afraid I Cant Hear You Very Well Over This Racket

His gaze narrows, and you see the point where he realizes you won't actually attack him, as much as you're tempted to. His shoulders loosen, his stance broadens, and he crosses his arms.

GUARD: I _said_ you better get out of here.

KANAYA: Dont Worry I Wasnt Planning On Sticking Around

You rush off, mildly annoyed. Even the people who were acclimated to the presence of mutants were distrustful, treating you with much less respect than the rest of the gifted in the facility, even though you had just as much power, if not more, and could easily subdue any threat. You put up with the comments, just barely, only because doing otherwise would just be cause for the Condesce to punish you, and she’s the one person you know you wouldn’t win in a fight against.

You have accepted that they will never truly accept you, and it doesn’t bother you anymore. You know who you are, and despite being not-quite-human, you are happy being yourself. And you won't allow yourself to be intimidated by half-witted people and their hateful comments.

The thoughts always ring false in your head, though. No matter how you phrase it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp.  
> fun fact: i woke up from a nap just because i remembered i had to post an update. catch me falling asleep again right after :)


	7. Dirk: Contemplate all your terrible past decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah its a dirk chapter  
> (tw: mention of suicide)

You haven’t left your room since before Dave woke up. It’s not that you’re afraid of seeing him; you know he’s on indefinite house arrest thanks to the Condesce. It’s just that you _really_ fucked up this time, so badly that not even you can brush it aside.

Of course, looking back now, there are a lot of things you wish you hadn’t done. You don’t feel regret- you _don’t_ \- because it’s pointless to do so. You couldn’t change it if you wanted to, your time-traveling family member aside. And why would you want to, when growing from those mistakes made you who you are today?

Not that you’re anything to be proud of. Dirk Strider, a confounding mix of vainglorious narcissism and debilitating self-hatred. Today is shaping up to be one of the self-hatred days- in fact, you can’t remember the last time you didn’t go through a whole day hating yourself. You would say it was probably some day before the whole Dave-escaping debacle occurred, but even you couldn’t be too sure about that.

The thing is, you could just chalk it up to following orders. After all, that’s what you were doing. They told you to bring Dave back, alive, using any means necessary, and you did exactly that. But you’re not one to shift blame. You know you could’ve handled the situation differently, subdued Dave in a way that _didn’t_ nearly rip out his soul. You’ve never had that great of a relationship with your powers- too destructive, too violent, too unpredictable. But did that stop you from using them on your brother when the time came?

You didn’t think you had any other choice. In the moment, it was the last thing you could do to get Dave to comply, and you had to bring him back _somehow_. You even thought it was right to bring him back- hell, you _still_ think it’s right. He belongs with the ACI, in a place where his powers could be managed and put to good use, not out in the world where he could seriously fuck things up. You _all_ do.

It doesn’t matter if the scene still haunts you. Dave’s pleas that you let him go. The desperation in his eyes when he whipped off his sunglasses, a moment of willful vulnerability that was so unlike him it surprised you. The twitch as his hands reached up, a second away from pulling a timestream and taking him away from you. The moment you realized you had to make a quick decision- do nothing and let him go, or hurt him and keep him from ever leaving.

In the end, it all came down to that. As much as you like to convince yourself that you hurt him because it was the right thing to do, because he didn’t belong outside the facility, you know your reasons were far more selfish. You didn’t want him to leave you. You couldn’t bear the thought that your brother would choose freedom over you. The truth is, you rely on him a lot more than he relies on you. That scares you, of course, but not as much as losing him scares you.

God, you really are a self-absorbed asshole. You would rather Dave be miserable if it meant he would be stuck with you. And now, he’ll probably hate you forever. He’ll probably never want to see you again. Not that you think you deserve to see him. Not that you could even handle it, seeing all the pain you’ve caused him, directed straight at you.

The worst thing is, Dave looked up to you, practically _worshipped_ you, and while you feel some guilt for completely destroying that, there's also a twisted sense of relief that comes with it. Relief that you won't have to hold yourself to his expectations for you, that you don't have to be someone perfect, because even before this happened you knew how truly awful you were. You were always capable of hurting your friends for the greater good, or even for your own selfish needs, if it came down to it. And now everyone else knows it, too. Everyone knows you're not the flawless caricature they've made of you in their heads. And you're _relieved_ by that, because at least now you won't have to hide who you are. That relief only adds to your guilt. Your worthless, fucked-up guilt.

ROXY: dirk?

A voice pulls you from your tortured reverie, one so familiar it makes your heart ache. You don’t get up, though, and you don’t answer.

ROXY: i know ur in there even if u wont talk to me

ROXY: you havent left in ages

ROXY: ur eating right? are people bringing you food?

ROXY: le sigh

ROXY: ill just leave some food out here for you

ROXY: look i just materialized you some orange soda thats your favorite

ROXY: dont you want to drink the abstract concept of unbranded orange soda?

They do this every time. You usually wait a good ten minutes after their words have stopped before daring to peek out and grab whatever sustenance they managed to whip up. You may hate yourself, but not to the point where you want to starve to death. If you _were_ going to kill yourself, well, you would hope to choose a less pathetic way.

ROXY: well ill just leave this here then

ROXY: maybe next time ill actually try to think up a specific brand

ROXY: sunkist sound good? i think i can get the logo right

ROXY: …

ROXY: dirk i know ur wallowing right now and i get it

ROXY: really i do

ROXY: but i miss you

ROXY: and you cant do this forever

ROXY: you cant keep torturing yourself because you made one mistake

They don’t know that for sure, though, do they? You can torture yourself for as long as you want. Maybe forever.

ROXY: ull have to face dave eventually

ROXY: i know you want to apologize. and im sure he’ll forgive you after some time. he isnt the type to hold a grudge for very long.

ROXY: plus i miss you. jake and jane miss you. _rose_ misses you.

ROXY: you arent just gonna leave your friends hanging forever, are you?

Isolating yourself from your friends seemed just, especially when Dave suffered the same fate. You know you won’t ever forgive yourself, even if Dave does make the highly improbable choice to forgive you, and accepting support from your friends feels wrong when you don’t even have the balls to apologize to Dave. But you suppose you’ll have to leave your room _eventually_.

ROXY: well

ROXY: when you do decide to come out and face the music

ROXY: ill be right here for you kay?

ROXY: dont forget that

ROXY: see you soon, dirk

You hear their footsteps faintly echo down the hall. For a brief second, you almost want to open the door, run after them, _talk_ to them, soak in all the forgiveness and compassion they offer you. But you know you don’t deserve it, so you wait those ten minutes before daring to look out into the hallway. They _could_ still be there, invisibly watching, but you know them well enough to believe they would give you privacy when you ask for it. You pull the tray of food into your room- it’s enough to last you nearly a week, like it always is, even though they visit almost every day now. It sometimes doesn’t taste right- the one negative of eating food conjured from the void- but you don’t have the room or the desire to complain.

One day, you’ll leave your bed for longer than a minute, go out into the hallway, actually respond to Roxy when they call your name, maybe even face your other friends. But that day won’t come anytime soon. For now, you’ll just keep sitting in your room, wishing you were dead, wishing that the necessary decision had also been the morally correct one, wishing that you didn’t feel pointless regret, wishing you knew how your friends perceive you.

Mostly, though, you just hope Dave knows how sorry you are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> between the vp debates and editing this i am just... tired  
> also i realized that my update schedule's catching up to me i only have three more chapters of cushion :)


	8. Jade: Bury your guilt deep, deep down.

You’re fine! Really, you are. Dave is back, safe and sound and only a _little_ hurt, and, sure, maybe you don’t get to visit him or even talk to him anymore, but that’s okay! _Everything_ is okay.

Alright, you can’t keep kidding yourself. As much as you hate to admit it, especially to yourself, everything is _not_ okay. In fact, you might even go as far as to say _nothing_ is okay, but that would be a tad dramatic, even for you. You’re miserable, not that the feeling was new to you. It had hovered around you ever since Dave first whispered his plans to escape. He had asked you to come along, and you’d almost agreed, afraid of what your lonely world might look like with one less person in it. But you were more afraid of the Condesce, of leaving all your other friends behind. Dave was _still_ your friend, though, so you helped him with his plan. After all, your affinity with space meant you were able to create his main escape route, and without you, you’re sure he wouldn’t have found that rip in space-time to slip through- which is, of course, the only way to leave a place that was squirreled away into a pocket dimension. Sure, it broke your heart to help, to see him so eager to leave you, but what else could you do? When a friend comes to you, asking for your assistance, you just can’t say no. You’re still A8, that little girl who was so eager to please others, shooting straight when they placed a gun in her hands. Even when you chose a different name, a _real_ name, it didn’t change who you are.

You know no other way of battling loneliness, which has plagued you for as long as you could remember. In the early years of the Ability Conditioning Initiative, they hadn’t just isolated the Others from the rest of the Heightened. They had isolated everyone, meaning that aside from the Condesce, her friends, and the guards, the only other person you were allowed to see was your brother, Jake. From what you’ve heard from your other friends, though, it sounds like they saw their siblings a lot more often than you saw yours. You’re not sure of the reasoning behind it- the Condesce doesn’t think she needs to explain her decisions to you or anyone else. The only theory you have is that it had something to do with your naturally powerful abilities, or Jake’s unpredictable ones.

Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is you weren’t given friends to talk to until you were nine. Even then, it was just online, and just three others. You got to meet them at thirteen, and, eventually, your group expanded, though not by much, and now you’re eighteen and have a whopping seven friends. A1 through A8, all united, all severely lacking real social skills. Of course, eventually the ACI started taking in other Heightened, ones that weren’t raised in the facility like you, but you never really fit in with them- and the Condesce kept them separated from the rest of you, for the most part. Though you sometimes entertain the possibility that there are more like you out there, an A9 or 10 that grew up in the ACI who the Condesce is waiting to introduce to you. You wonder, wryly, how old you’ll be when you’re allowed to meet them- twenty-five? thirty? eighty-six?

You weren’t always the kind of person who had wry thoughts. Then again, you also weren’t always the kind of person who had friends. It took you a long time to realize that the empty feeling that pervaded your childhood was, in fact, loneliness, as you had no frame of reference to measure how often humans interacted with each other. It took you even longer to realize that you should be angry about how the Condesce had a stranglehold on every aspect of your childhood, how she still held your life in her hands, figuratively _and_ literally. You didn’t feel particularly angry, though. Just… lonely.

You thought you could alleviate that feeling by keeping your precious few friends close. So, naturally, you became a people-pleaser, a constantly positive force in their lives, so they couldn’t help but like you. It didn’t matter that you didn’t always feel as happy as you pretended to be, as long as your friends could rely on you. None of that helped the loneliness, though. Keeping up that friendly facade just put a rift between you and your friends, and made it so that you could never talk about how you _really_ felt. You didn’t want to bum them out, not when it might make them lose interest in you, so you just bottled up your feelings and created space between you and them. You suppose that’s your specialty, creating _space_. Maybe that’s the real cause of your loneliness.

One thing’s for certain, though. As much as you want to pin it all on the Condesce, you know you’re just as much to blame for your solitary existence. You didn’t have to perpetuate it the way you ended up doing- the others went through the exact same situation and didn’t seem to have the same problems with feeling alone. Or maybe they just hid it as well as you did. You doubt it, though- June always seems chipper, Rose is sarcastically blunt about her problems, and Dave tends to ramble about nearly everything when he’s not paying attention, and you’ve never heard him mention loneliness. You don’t know their siblings well enough to know their feelings. And your brother… well, if he were having problems, he sure as heck wouldn’t tell you about it. You’re not sure he would tell _anyone_ about it, though, so maybe he’s in the same boat you are. Except it’s a really large boat, like a yacht or a cruise ship, and neither of you leave your respective rooms or ever see each other. In fact, maybe that boat sank long ago, and you both escaped on separate liferafts, floating further away from each other, directionless on an eternal sea.

Okay, you need to stop this ridiculous metaphor before your inner voice starts sounding like Dave. You don’t need another reminder of how much you miss him. Plus, the whole ‘directionless on an eternal sea’ was a little dramatically depressed for your mental monologue.

So, maybe you and your brother are just genetically predisposed to loneliness? You’re not sure if it works that way, but it makes for another likely explanation. 

Whatever the case, you hope you find a cure soon, because being lonely _sucks_.

You sense an absence of space outside your room, a sure sign of a very specific visitor. You sit up in your bed, legs crisscrossed, and muster up your best, most enthusiastic voice.

JADE: roxy!! i know youre there

ROXY: o lmao i always forget you can sense me when im sneakin around all ninja-like

Your door opens, and Roxy peeks in, a strained smile on their face.

ROXY: is now a good time?

JADE: any time is a good time! come on in

Apparently convinced by your false cheer, they slip in, softly shutting the door behind you with a faint click. You pat the bed, and they promptly plop down, back to the mattress, feet dangling off the side.

JADE: whats up?

ROXY: oh you know just bummed out about dave and dirk

JADE: yeah me too i guess

ROXY: rly? u seem so chipper all the time tho

ROXY: idk how you do it youre just like

ROXY: a beam of optimism shining in a dark void

ROXY: the void being me ofc

They aren't wrong about the whole “void” thing. Even now, with them fully visible, you can sense a small pocket in space, a rip of nothingness where they should be. It used to freak you out when you first met them.

You allow your smile to falter a little, though you don’t let out the sigh building in your chest.

JADE: dont get me wrong roxy im definitely worried about dave

JADE: and dirk too i guess, though i dont know him that well

JADE: but in times like these you just gotta put on a brave face!

JADE: and it helps to have friends going through it with you

They grin, turning sideways to face you. The covers under them crinkle, the cloud designs seeming to drift on the sky-blue fabric.

ROXY: jade ur truly an inspiration to us all

ROXY: thx for the posi energy i rly needed it

Don’t you know it. You wish whatever ‘posi energy’ you gave off affected you, too.

JADE: no problem! im always here to help

JADE: do you wanna talk about everything

ROXY: ofc i do jade i gotta have my gal pal vent sesh with someone

ROXY: janes off bein pampered by waterbitch all the time now so shes out

ROXY: and i cant find june anywhere either she can be as elusive as the air sometimes lmao

ROXY: uh not that ur my second option or anything! i rly like talkin to u too. janeys just my best friend and im p close with june but u and i are close too!

JADE: yeah i know that, silly! you dont have to explain it to me.

It still causes a pang to ripple in your heart. You shouldn’t care as much as you do- you _are_ Roxy’s friend, you think. And if you had to rank your friends, you don’t know if they’d be number one- you’ve known Rose and Dave and June for so much longer. It makes sense that you and Roxy wouldn’t be each other's favorite friend. But still, that loneliness-fed doubt creeps up at the idea that you’re just someone they _settle_ for.

You push all of that down, like always.

JADE: well go ahead!

ROXY: rite so u kno that ive been missing dave hella hard since he left just like u prob do

JADE: yeah, i really miss him, too

ROXY: i thought maybe if he was brought back there would at least be the silver lining of getting to see him again

ROXY: but guess what no silver lining for us he doesn’t have visitation rights

ROXY: its almost worse

ROXY: like we’re bein teased by condy

ROXY: do u feel like its worse

JADE: yeah, i do

JADE: hes so close but he might as well still be as far as before

ROXY: yeaaah exactly u get me

ROXY: and now dirk is isolating himself bcuz he just has to do the whole self-flagellation ‘oh i hurt my bro i deserve to rot in hell’ routine

ROXY: which i totally get i wouldnt be very happy w myself if i hurt dave either

ROXY: but i hate to see him suffer alone u kno? no one should have to do that

You nod, your fingers curling up, bunching into the thin fabric of your leggings. You guess you’re not the only one who feels isolated, though yours isn’t as self-inflicted as Dirk’s. Then again, you’re the only thing stopping you from just _telling_ Roxy, or any of your friends, how you feel. You’re too afraid of burdening them.

ROXY: that includes u jade. u dont have to suffer alone either

Roxy always surprises you with how intuitive they can be. You look down at them, trying to put on a smile, but it just won’t come anymore. You’re tired of pretending.

JADE: i know.

ROXY: u can talk to me

JADE: im not sure i can

ROXY: come on girl it wouldnt be gal pal vent sesh if i was the only one who did all the sharin

ROXY: lay it on me ms harley

You sigh, scooting down to match their position on the bed- back to the mattress, staring at the ceiling. That harsh-white, untextured ceiling that’s accompanied you your entire life.

JADE: i just miss dave

JADE: i feel so… lonely. without him.

JADE: i think, even more than rose or june, he was my best friend

JADE: he could always make me forget about whatever was bothering me. his funny stories would just distract me i guess

JADE: we didnt have to talk about my problems. we didnt have to talk about  _ his _ problems. it was just an unspoken rule not to bring any of it up. for a while, none of it existed.

JADE: and then out of nowhere he tells me he wants to leave. he asks me for help. and i cant say no

JADE: and now i feel so guilty for wanting him to come back

JADE: especially now that hes here and i cant talk to him and hes more alone than me

Roxy is quiet for a good while, letting your thoughts churn. Did you say too much? Did your obvious neediness push them away? Maybe they're realizing you’re not the source of ‘posi energy’ they thought you were and now they want nothing to do with you.

ROXY: well

ROXY: i definitely kno how that guilt feels

ROXY: and i think we all feel a little more lonely without dave around

ROXY: but we dont have to talk about it if u rly dont want to

ROXY: we can distract each other instead

ROXY: i cant promise ill be as funny as dave but i sure can try

You turn to look at her, a small grin- a _genuine_ grin- tugging up the corner of your mouth.

JADE: youd really do that for me?

ROXY: ofc jade what are friends for

It’s a small gesture, there’s no denying that, but it feels gigantic to you. It feels like, for the first time, you’ve dared to reach out your hand for help, and instead of it being smacked away like you feared, someone was actually there to take that hand and help you up. Maybe you don’t have to be so lonely. Maybe things can change for you.

JADE: okay! what topic did you have in mind?

ROXY: hmmmm how about cats

And for a good forty minutes, none of your problems exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in hindsight i probably shouldve given the eighth chapter to vriska, but she can wait her turn like the rest of us. its jades time. (sidenote: i love jade)


	9. Roxy: Confront your sadsack of a friend.

Yeah, you might as well. You’re tired of Dirk moping around like a depressed college dropout. Not that you would know how depressed college dropouts act, you just get that _vibe_ from him- along with the immensely heavy guilt he’s carrying around. You’re pretty sure college dropouts don’t feel _that_ guilty about dropping out.

Needless to say, you miss the hell outta him. He’s your _best_ friend. So are Jane and Jake, of course, but Jane’s off who-knows-where doing who-knows-what with the Condesce, and Jake is… well, let’s just say he’s not the best listener. Dirk _knows_ how to listen. You feel like he’s the only one who can help you make sense of the jumbled mess of thoughts in your head. He understands you, better than anyone. He just needs to get over with this whole thing, learn to forgive himself, then he’ll be back to normal, good as new.

Except “back to normal” Dirk isn’t much different from the Dirk you have now. Mopey, full of self-hatred, constantly lost in his thoughts, and, at times, completely unreachable. But you’re usually able to reach him. Maybe you don’t always get what he’s going through, but you care about him, because you _know_ he cares about you. All those times when you were younger, when you used to phase through the walls and sneak around the Condesce’s dumb guards just to go see your friends, you usually just ended up in Dirk’s room for the rest of the night, until you fell asleep. He would always carry you back to your room before you got in trouble- you’re not sure _how_ he slipped past the guards, though you guess you could chalk it up to those Strider ninja skills. And when you got older, he would always have your back in the field. You trust him, and you know he’s a good person, no matter what he thinks, so he definitely doesn’t deserve to be beating himself up for this long. At least, not alone. Your talk with Jade definitely helped clarify some of that for you.

Maybe another trip down memory lane is in order.

You wait for night, when it’s easiest for you to blend into the shadows and avoid detection, before phasing through the wall of your room. The guards in the hallway, who are _supposed_ to enforce curfew, don’t even look up as you walk past. Seriously, you’d think the Condesce would at least up the security when it came to housing so many supernaturally-powered beings, _especially_ when one of those beings recently escaped. These dolts are absolutely clueless, not to mention completely unable to stop you even _if_ they noticed you’re there.

You dash through the hallways, light and quick and cat-like, and stop in front of Dirk’s closed door. You’re sure he never had it locked, that you could have just opened it any of the times you’d come to drop off food and an orange-flavored beverage. But you wanted _him_ to take the first step towards opening up again. You didn’t want to go against what he wanted, or push him to talk when he wasn’t ready. Now, though, you just want to get through that dumb door. Which is incredibly easy for you- walking through walls isn’t the most comfortable sensation, but it’s one you’re far too used to at this point.

Dirk’s room is familiar to you, as familiar as your own, so it’s easy for you to notice that something’s off. For one, Dirk is laying in his bed, which you don’t think you’ve _ever_ seen him in- he rarely sleeps for some reason, so he’s always up and messing around with robots or coding or working on any of his other projects whenever he’s in his room. You always love helping with those projects, but it looks like most of them have been abandoned. His worktable is clear, tools and scraps stuffed in a box underneath. If Dirk has stopped working on things… that’s worrying. _Really_ worrying.

You take a step toward his bed, hand out to shake him awake, but then his head swivels towards you, eyes shades-free and bright, though not exactly focused on you- again, you’re invisible- and you realize he was probably never asleep in the first place. He sits up slightly, his gaze narrowing, and you hear his voice for the first time in weeks.

DIRK: Roxy? What the fuck are you doing?

You sigh- he always was perceptive- and step out of the void, giving him a little wave.

ROXY: dang first jade senses me now u? am i losin my touch

DIRK: I didn’t pin you as someone who broke into people’s rooms without their permission.

ROXY: technically i didnt BREAK in

DIRK: So what are you doing here?

ROXY: i was just gonna… wake u up?

DIRK: Well, I’m awake.

He certainly is. He’s sitting up fully now, turned toward you, and with the shades still off you can see how deep the bags under his eyes have gotten. Sheesh, he’s really in bad shape, huh?

ROXY: yeah ig you are

DIRK: Is there something you want? Because I’m not sure if you noticed, but  _ I _ kind of want to be alone.

ROXY: uh yeah theres something i want its for my friend to stop being such a depressed sludge puddle!

He blinks at that. You think if you look closely you can almost see the hint of a frown at the corners of his mouth. Almost.

DIRK: I’m assuming the friend you’re referring to is me.

ROXY: duh

DIRK: And I’m being a… sludge puddle?

ROXY: a depressed one, yeah

DIRK: Hm.

ROXY: hm? thats all u have to say to that?

DIRK: What would you rather me say?

ROXY: idk something! ur not even gonna object to being called a depressed sludge puddle?

DIRK: Why would I? It’s a pretty accurate description, all things considered.

ROXY: argh!  _ stop _ that

DIRK: What do you  _ want _ from me, Roxy?!

He’s angry now, from the way his eyes flash, his voice raised slightly above the normal monotone. You’re pretty sure it’s more directed at himself than at you, so you stay quiet.

DIRK: You want me to go back to normal? To accept that I did a  _ horrible _ thing to my brother and just move on? To stop  _ hating myself _ for every bad decision I make?

DIRK: Because it’s not that easy. I can’t just forgive myself. Not for this. Not when bringing him was the  _ only _ thing I could’ve done.

ROXY: was it?

ROXY: you couldve let him go

DIRK: And let him fuck up the timestream? No.

ROXY: oh plz

ROXY: tell me, dirk

ROXY: since you know dave better than any of us

ROXY: do you think hed just be running around the country shooting into random timelines willy-nilly?

DIRK: … Probably not.

ROXY: the answer is no he wouldnt bcuz all he wants is to live like a normal person. he wants to blend in

DIRK: It was still a possibility-

ROXY: but not a likely one

DIRK: But we need him. His abilities are-

ROXY: what, too good to lose? we have other time manipulators

ROXY: sure they might not be as skilled or well-trained as dave but they can get there

DIRK: If this is supposed to help me, it’s not working.

ROXY: ugh just listen dirk

ROXY: clearly ur as smart as me which means u thought all this out too and u know everything wouldve been fine if u hadnt brought dave back

ROXY: so whats ur real reasoning

DIRK: …

ROXY: lemme guess

ROXY: u didnt want to lose dave

DIRK: That’s not fair.  _ None _ of us wanted to lose Dave.

ROXY: true. but ur the one condy sent to bring him back. and ur the one who nearly ripped his soul out to do that

DIRK: Thanks, Roxy, I feel  _ so _ much better now.

ROXY: dirk i know you love the sound of ur own voice but i need you to shut up for like two seconds kay?

DIRK: … Fine.

ROXY: the fact of the matter is u had other options

ROXY: u coulda let dave go

ROXY: condy prob wouldnt have even punished u she woulda gotten over it

ROXY: but u were afraid of losing him

ROXY: so u hurt him and still ended up losing him. in the worst possible way

His face crumples- well, as much as Dirk Strider’s face _can_ crumple. Mostly just a crinkle of his nose, a lowering of his eyebrows, a downturned corner of his mouth, but for Dirk it speaks volumes. You sigh, knowing you’re going to have to drive the point in a little more before offering him help. Tough love, right?

You sit down next to him, the bed barely giving under you, and put a hand on his knee. He stiffens, his teeth clenched.

DIRK: Can I speak now?

ROXY: sure

DIRK: What would you have done? Would you have been able to let him go?

ROXY: dirk

ROXY: i  _ did _ let him go

He looks up at you, confused. It’s not every day you get to surprise Dirk Strider.

DIRK: Wh-what?

ROXY: oh dirk honey come on think about it

ROXY: who do u think helped him sneak out

DIRK: … Didn’t Jade do that? She confessed to opening a way out for him.

ROXY: and how do u think dave snuck through all the defenses on the other side of our little space pocket

ROXY: did u forget theres an actual steel-and-brick building outside this fakey dimension

DIRK: I- I guess I assumed Jade used her teleportation.

ROXY: and where would she have sent him? she’s only been in the real world for missions. she doesn’t  _ know _ anywhere well enough to teleport dave safely

DIRK: …

ROXY: i helped him sneak past the guards. jade didnt even kno about it

ROXY: and ig i'm just better at keeping secrets than her

DIRK: So you-

ROXY: jade and i were both able to let him go. and i was  _ happy _ to help, bcuz id rather kno hes happy than have to see him miserable

ROXY: bcuz i care about him

DIRK: And I don’t? Just because I couldn’t… let him go?

ROXY: i didnt say that

ROXY: but u do kno how the saying goes. if u love them set em free

ROXY: and u couldnt do that

ROXY: you made a mistake. a bad decision. a ‘tactical error’ if u will

You watch him work his jaw, practically seeing the gears turn in his head. You know Dirk well enough to know how mechanically he thinks, how everything is a problem that needs to be fixed. He was stuck thinking his guilt was unfixable, the negative by-product of a necessary decision. Showing him that there were other options, other decisions that _you_ made, should’ve been enough to nudge him out of that. Now you just have to give him a solution.

DIRK: Have you ever considered that maybe you're just a better person than me?

ROXY: dirk have u met me? im roxy lalonde, the model of heightened perfection. ofc im a better person than you

The bravado is a little faked, a little exaggerated, but it has the intended effect. He sighs, rolling his eyes, but you're _pretty_ sure you see the hint of a smile on his face.

DIRK: I still don’t see how this is supposed to help me.

ROXY: well

ROXY: i bet ur feeling rly guilty about fucking up daves life now that u know u couldve made a different decision

DIRK: Well, you don’t have to rub salt in the wound. But… yes. Obviously I feel guilty about it. I already felt guilty about it.

ROXY: but now all the guilt is on u. bcuz ur actions rly have no real excuse

ROXY: so what are u going to do to fix that

DIRK: I don’t know, Rox. What  _ can _ I do?

ROXY: for one, stop isolating yourself. u dont have to go through this alone. punishing urself isnt gonna get u anywhere and honestly its kinda stupid.

DIRK: … Noted.

ROXY: second, you can try making the right decision next time

DIRK: You mean… letting him go if he escapes again.

ROXY: more than that dirk

ROXY: helping him

DIRK: … 

The conflict is clear on his face. It goes against everything he believes- that the facility is the best place for the Heightened, that it’s your duty to help the world with the powers you were given. Your sister is the same way, except she seems to believe it’s certain, which is crazy given how often she talks about the uncertain flexibility of the futures she sees. 

But Dirk seems to make up his mind. He gives the subtlest shake of his head, sighs, and turns to look at you fully. His eyes are intense, especially this close up.

DIRK: Will that get rid of the guilt? Will he… forgive me?

ROXY: i dont know. i cant answer that for u or for dave

ROXY: but it couldnt hurt. and i could def see it at least helping

He nods, once, and now his jaw is set. It’s a determined look you’re far too used to seeing on him, from your times in training sessions together, or on the field facing down some Heightened using their power to cause trouble. It’s the look he reserves for battle.

DIRK: Then we should probably make plans to break Dave out again.

You smile, toothily wide, and ambush him with a hug. He sits still for a moment, surprised, before tentatively wrapping his arms around you. He’s stiff, and his hands clench a little too tightly on your back, but that just means he definitely needed it, even if it was something he would never ask for. After a while, you pull away, still grinning.

ROXY: alright. lets plan an escape


	10. Vriska: Change your luck.

Your opponent is good- fast reflexes, reliably strong powers, and a mind for strategy- but, like all of your opponents, he could never quite match your luckiness. Of course, you’re skilled in all the other areas too, but sometimes all you need is a little bit of luck to win a match.

You shift your fortune, taking whatever luck you can, and end the fight in an extravagantly over-the-top move, like you usually do. You flip him over your head, pinning him face-down to the mat, grinning triumphantly. He’s one of the younger mutants, not a part of the original batch of twelve. The Condesce had to create more after a few unfortunate… _incidents_ caused some of your friends to permanently perish. You may or may not have had a hand in one of them. You may or may not have been one of the few to only perish temporarily.

You look across the room, past other pairs of fighting Others, and find your murderer, who also happens to be your best friend. Terezi is holding her own perfectly fine, especially for a blind girl. Her opponents always underestimate her, not realizing her powers are more than enough to offset any disadvantage her blindness might pose. You only made the mistake of underestimating her once, and you’re keen on never doing it again. 

She easily beats her opponent, sweeping them off their feet with a flick of her cane, then turns her head in your general direction, grinning sharply. You let your pinned-down quarry go, walking away before he can offer you a handshake and a congratulations- though you’re definitely due the praise, you find it pathetic how willing some people are to offer it. You smirk at Terezi, sauntering over. 

VRISKA: Looks like we 8oth readily 8eat our opponents, like always.

TEREZI: D1D YOU 3XP3CT 4NYTH1NG D1FF3R3NT?

VRISKA: Fair point.

TEREZI: 1S TH3R3 A R34SON YOU D3C1D3D TO COM3 OV3R? LOOK1NG FOR 4 H4RD3R F1GHT?

VRISKA: Not this time, unfortun8tely. I have a question. Well, two questions, 8ut that’s 8eside the point.

TEREZI: SHOOT.

VRISKA: Where the fuck are our friends? The alive ones, I mean.

Terezi sniffs- her way of seeing the world- and you glance around the room, as if to confirm what you noticed when walking in. Your friends- a term you’re using pretty loosely- Sollux and Kanaya are both nowhere to be found, which isn’t all that surprising given that you heard Sollux recently destroyed a good portion of the human side of the facility and was put on house arrest… room arrest? Whatever. You’re less sure on where Kanaya could be, though you’re pretty sure her absence is due to Sollux, or maybe even Karkat. She has always been sympathetic to them, for reasons you’ve never understood. Then again, you’ve always had trouble understanding Kanaya.

The really puzzling thing, though, is that your other two unaccounted friends- and here you’re using the term even more loosely- are also missing. You’ve never known Eridan or Feferi to skip out on training, even if they both complain about it for different reasons. They wouldn’t miss out unless something important was happening. You don’t like the idea that you could be missing out on _something important_.

TEREZI: 1 KNOW SOLLUX AND K4N4Y4 4R3 T13D UP 1N COND3SC3 BUS1N3SS TH4NKS TO C4PTOR'S 1MPULS3 D3C1S1ONS.

VRISKA: I figured as much. What a8out the fish?

TEREZI: NO CLU3. YOUR GU3SS 1S 4S GOOD 4S M1N3.

VRISKA: Jeeeeeeeez, what a mess! First Makara went crazy and killed Nep and Equius, then Ar8dia ditched town. And Tavros... got himself offed.

You breeze over that one- you’re more than a little bit responsible for it, and you’d rather avoid another lecture. Like, you get it, killing him was wrong, but he threatened to kill you first! Besides, the dude was a total wimp and was never going to amount to anything. It doesn’t matter whether his death was actually justified. It won’t change the fact that he’s dead.

VRISKA: Now Karkat’s tied up in whatever l8me assignment Condy cooked up, and Sollux and Kanaya had to m8ke a fuss a8out it, and the fish are nowhere to 8e found. If our friends keep disappearing at this r8te we’re just gonna end up with each other.

TEREZI: TH4T WOULDN’T B3 SO B4D, THOUGH. 1N F4CT, W3 M1GHT B3 B3TT3R OFF W1THOUT THOS3 LOS3RS.

You grin at Terezi, impressed. Of all your friends, she’s the only one who gets it. The only one who gets _you_. Sure, she doesn’t always sound convinced in what she’s saying, and you’re pretty sure she’s hiding how much she actually cares about ‘those losers’, but that’s fine, because she’s the only one who’s still by your side, even after nearly killing each other twice, and her succeeding once. You can both look past that- metaphorically for her, you guess.

VRISKA: Exaaaaaaaactly. With those l8me nerds out of the w8y, Condy will have no choice 8ut to send us out on a real assignment. Think of it- you and me, finally kicking 8utt on the real 8attlefield, together!

TEREZI: TH4T’S NOT R34LLY WH4T 1 W4S G3TT1NG 4T BUT OK4Y.

VRISKA: What? Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking the s8me thing. I know you can’t w8it to serve justice to some 8ad 8itch.

She crosses her arms, cocking her head at you. You think she would be glaring at you if she could.

TEREZI: VR1SK4. 1 4LR34DY D1D TH4T. TO YOU. R3M3MB3R?

You roll your eyes. Seriously? She’s gonna ask you that?

VRISKA: How could I forget my 8est friend literally sta88ing me in the 8ack?

TEREZI: 1 DON’T KNOW. M4YB3 TH3 S4M3 W4Y YOU CONV3N13NTLY FORG3T 3V3RY B4D D3C1S1ON YOU’V3 3V3R M4D3.

VRISKA: Oh, come oooooooon. We 8oth know that’s all water under the 8ridge now. We’ve all moved on.

TERZI: Y34H, M4YB3.

You sigh. She can be so difficult to deal with sometimes. She’s lucky you put up with her when she’s like this.

VRISKA: Then what  _ were _ you getting at, if not the fact that we’d 8e availa8le for missions?

TEREZI: 1T DO3SN’T M4TT3R.

VRISKA: Terezi, of course it matters. I gotta know what other perks there could possi8ly 8e to all our friends disappearing. Just so I know whether I should actually do something to m8ke that happen.

TEREZI: UGH. DON’T DO TH4T.

VRISKA: No promises!

TEREZI: BUT. 1N 4 PUR3LY HYPOTH3T1C4L S1TU4T1ON. 1N WH1CH 4LL OUR FR13NDS M1R4CULOUSLY D1S4PP34R3D  _ W1THOUT _ YOU PULL1NG SOM3 SH4DY SH1T.

TEREZI: 1 JUST TH1NK 1T WOULD B3 MOR3 FUN 1F W3 ONLY H4D 34CH OTH3R 4ND D1DN’T H4V3 TO D34L W1TH THOS3 1D1OTS.

TEREZI: 1T WOULD B3 M3 4ND YOU 4G41NST TH3 WORLD. OR 4T TH3 V3RY L34ST 4G41NST TH3 COND3SC3.

VRISKA: Ohhhh. I see. You want them out of the w8y so that we can t8ke this joint over and control it completely!

TEREZI: NO!

TEREZI: 1 JUST W4NT TO SP3ND MOR3 T1M3 W1TH YOU, DUMB4SS.

You blink, caught off guard, before smoothing down your jacket. Your one prosthetic arm- a reminder of your rocky past with Terezi- glints in the bright light of the training room.

VRISKA: Oh! Of course I knew that, dummy. I was thinking that, too.

She looks at you skeptically. You’re not completely sure how her powers work- something about seeing the consequences of people’s decisions- but you’re pretty positive she can’t see your thought processes, so there’s no way she could know that you _weren’t_ actually thinking about that. Then again, she’s pretty good at sniffing out your lies. You don’t like admitting your shortcomings, but you know you can be pretty blind when it comes to your relationship with her. Which is ironic, given that you’re the one who still has an undamaged eye left.

TEREZI: YOU W3R3?

VRISKA: Of course! Why wouldn’t I 8e looking forward to spending quality time with my num8er one pal? We could have so much fun without those others dragging us down.

VRISKA: 8ut I don’t get why it’s such a 8ig deal. I mean, we already hang out every day, for multiple hours, and we could always spend more time together. How would killing our friends ch8nge that?

TEREZI: 1… DON’T KNOW? 1 JUST THOUGHT-

You don’t get to hear what she just thought, because suddenly the door slams open, halting all fighting, and conversation, in the room. Two guards walk in, and you realize that there _hadn’t_ been any guards in the room before, which is practically unheard of. A room full of unnaturally powerful mutant kids, left completely unattended? You silently berate yourself for being so careless as to let that detail slip past you. The guards walk up to you and Terezi, their faces apathetic and bored. One shoots a look around the room.

GUARD 1: What are you freaks all looking at? You should be training.

All the staring Others balk, before immediately getting back into their spars with a renewed vigor. Seemingly satisfied that he could inspire so much fear in the kids, he turns back to you two. Or, now that you’re really paying attention, it seems his focus is on Terezi alone.

GUARD 1: You’re B3, right?

TEREZI: Y34H, 1 GU3SS 1 4M. WH4T’S 1T TO YOU, SHORTST4CK?

Terezi grins, wickedly sharp, at the man who is clearly much taller than her. He goes red with indignation, until his partner taps his shoulder and takes the initiative.

GUARD 2: You’re wanted by Her Imperious Condescension.

You start sputtering immediately, because _surely_ there must be some mistake. She wants _Terezi_? Before _you_? It’s inconceivable.

VRISKA: Excuse me, I think you must’ve misheard her, 8ecause I’m  _ sure _ she asked for Vris- 88.

The male guard glares at you, eyes narrowed.

GUARD 1: I’m sorry, what did you say?

VRISKA: 8ee-eight. She must have asked for me.

GUARD 1: What, do you think we don’t know how to do our jobs? We’re just following her orders, and she asked for B3. Not  _ bait_.

They both snicker at that, and you curl your hands into fists. _Kid?_ You’re eighteen, for fuck’s sake. You want to get angry, but you know you have to play it smart.

The eyes of the male guard glaze over- it’s insanely convenient how impressionable some of the unheightened humans can be, how easily you can take control. His voice comes out a little mechanically, a little stilted, but you just gotta hope it’s passable- and maybe get lucky.

GUARD 1: Now that you mention it, I think I remember her mentioning B8.

GUARD 2: I’m pretty sure she didn’t… Are you okay?

GUARD 1: I am great. Why wouldn’t I be? I definitely remember her telling us to bring B8.

GUARD 2: No, something’s definitely wrong.

Shit, she’s catching on. You’re gonna have to use more than just psychic abilities on this one. You flick your fingers in the woman’s direction and pull all her luck your way. Yes, luck is a real, metaphysical object in the universe, what kind of idiot would think anything to the contrary?

GUARD 1: What could possibly be wrong?

GUARD 2: I… I don’t know. It was wrong… that I forgot, right? I must have forgotten.

GUARD 1: See? I told you I remembered. We’re taking B8 to the Condesce.

GUARD 2: Yeah. That must be it.

TEREZI: OK4Y, VR1SK4, YOU’R3 GONN4 H4V3 TO STOP B3FOR3 YOU FRY BOTH TH31R BR41NS.

You had almost forgotten Terezi was there, and the reminder is just enough to snap your hold on the malleable human. He immediately slumps forward, falling to the floor with a dull thud. The woman shakes her head, as if to clear the dust out of it, and alarm sparks in her eyes as she takes in the situation. She crouches down next to her fallen comrade, trying to help him up, while shooting you a dirty look. In fact, you’re pretty sure you’ve attracted the attention of the entire room again, though most everyone else is pretending they’re still training.

Guess you had a 8ad 8r8k. Seriously, you’d think someone with powers over luck would be luckier than this, but you’ve been having… trouble, for a while now. You think you’ve just accrued so much karma that you’re always going to have bad luck following you around like a stray mongrel looking for a scrap. Well, you say scram! You don’t have any luck to spare.

VRISKA: Terezi! You 8roke my concentr8tion!

GUARD 2: What did you do to him, mutant?

VRISKA: Oh, he’ll 8e fiiiiiiiine. A little mind control never hurt any8ody!

Terezi scoffs, no doubt recalling a time when mind control _did_ hurt somebody- specifically, when _you_ were the one using said hurtful mind control. Really, it’s unfair that she can just reference any mistake you’ve made in your past to hold against you. Why couldn’t _she_ have made more mistakes?

TEREZI: SORRY, VR1SK4, BUT 1 H4D TO CUT THE P4RTY SHORT, 4S 3NJOY4BL3 4S W4TCH1NG TH4T W4S.

GUARD 2: Excuse me?

TEREZI: BUT TH3Y CL34RLY 4SK3D FOR M3. 1 DON’T H4V3 TH3 F41NT3ST FUCK1NG 1D34 WHY, BUT CONDY W4NTS M3.

VRISKA: 8ut why not  _ me_?!

TEREZI: 1 KNOW.

VRISKA: I work just as hard as you! I’ve 8een 8sking for this for  _ years _ ! I w8nt to go k8ck some 8ss, and she w8n’t let me!!!!!!!!

TEREZI: VR1SK4, 1T’S OK4Y. 1’M SUR3 YOU’LL G3T YOUR CH4NC3 SOON.

VRISKA: Why the f8ck would she give you the ch8nce 8efore m8?! I des8rve it more!!!!  _ You’re _ n8t the 8ne with  _ telepathy and m8nd c8ntr8l!!!!!!!! _

She crosses her arms, glaring in your general direction.

TEREZI: WH4T TH3 FUCK D1D YOU JUST S4Y?

You realize, far too late, that you have fucked up once again. Shit. Better cover your tracks.

VRISKA: Oh, c8me  _ on _ , Terezi, you know I’m r8ght!

Okay, maybe do better than _that_.

TEREZI: NO, PL34S3, R3P34T 1T.

VRISKA: We 8oth kn8w my powers are stronger th8n yours! I h8ve telepathy.

TEREZI: 1 H34RD TH4T P4RT. B3FOR3 TH4T.

VRISKA: I- I just-

TEREZI: YOU JUST WH4T?  _ D3S3RV3 1T MOR3? _

VRISKA: Terezi, you know I don’t-

TEREZI: 4LL TH4T T4LK 4BOUT K1CK1NG BUTT TOG3TH3R. 4BOUT SP3ND1NG MOR3 T1M3 W1TH M3. YOU DON’T R34LLY M34N 1T.

VRISKA: Of  _ course  _ I me8n it!

TEREZI: YOU JUST W4NT 4LL OF TH4T FOR YOURS3LF. YOU ONLY  _ C4R3 _ 4BOUT YOURS3LF. YOU 4LW4YS H4V3. WHY D1D 1 3V3R TH1NK YOU COULD CH4NG3?

VRISKA: I can! I  _ h8ve!  _ ‘Rezi, please, you know I didn’t mean it that w8y.

TEREZI: DO 1 R34LLY?

Terezi turns away from you, towards the two guards, or, really, just the one who you didn’t accidentally knock unconscious. She’s been watching the whole exchange from the floor in shocked silence, and looks surprised, and maybe even a little afraid, to have Terezi’s attention on her.

TEREZI: YOU S41D TH3 COND3SC3 W4NTS TO S33 M3?

GUARD 2: … Yes.

TEREZI: W3 PROB4BLY SHOULDN’T K33P H3R W41T1NG.

GUARD 2: Right.

TEREZI: TH3N L3T’S GO 4LR34DY.

The guard picks herself up off the floor, pulling her partner with her and supporting his limp weight with one arm. You would almost be impressed, if the both of them didn’t strike you as so pathetic. Or if you weren’t too busy being caught up in your head to really notice.

Because, again, you really, _really_ fucked up this time. Sure, you didn’t _kill_ anyone, but this is bad. Terezi’s pissed at you, and for good reason- after all, you _did_ insinuate that she’s weak and doesn’t deserve a mission or the Condesce’s attention. But, really, you still don’t think you’re wrong. You _are_ more powerful than Terezi- her weirdly specific mind powers make her predictions more like guesses- and you’ve always wanted this, so much more than she has. Why can’t she see your side of things?

She starts walking off without looking in your direction, her cane clicking loudly on the floor with each step, and the guard shoots you a disdainful look and a sneer before following behind. Your fists curl up again, but you manage to hold in your anger until after they’re well out of earshot.

VRISKA: 8RRGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

You punch the nearest wall with your non-prosthetic arm, making a sizable crack. White plaster floating around your closed fist, you seethe, taking heavy breaths, ignoring the other people in the room, who back away slowly. Then, ever so gradually, you compose yourself, not even looking to see the damage to your knuckles- you can feel the cool, blue blood painting your fingers. You instead turn to look at the rest of the room, grinning, a deranged glint in your good eye.

VRISKA: Who w8nts to sp8r????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who doesnt love a good vriska chapter


	11. June: Wait patiently.

You can’t! Patience was never one of your virtues. When Meenah- you’re probably the only one who actually uses her real name- called you in for another mission, you groaned and complained, but honestly you were just as excited as you were for every other mission before it. You like using your powers, especially when it means kicking ass and saving people! Or, just, y’know, pulling pranks on your friends. Having fun windy powers is super helpful for that, too. And when Meenah told you that you’d be working with one of the Others, one you haven’t met before, you were ecstatic. So far the only one you’ve met is Kanaya, who is definitely a cool girl, of course, but her powers aren’t the most interesting. So she can warp space to make a few handy, travel-size weapons. Big deal, so can Jade! Meenah just chose Kanaya because she looks the least inhuman, to get humans acclimated to the Others. Getting to meet one who’s actually chosen for her powers is exciting.

But then you have to wait, sitting in the briefing room with a bored-looking Meenah, who’s absentmindedly filing her nails. There seems to be a delay in getting your new friend- or _mission partner_ , whatever- to the meeting. Meenah hasn’t told you shit, so you just stew at the table, occasionally drifting around the room, inspecting the light fixtures, anything to keep you from being bored out of your mind.

JUNE: where are they?

MEENAH: relax bluefish shes coming

JUNE: but whennnnn? i'm so bored.

MEENAH: just clam your ass down

MEENAH: also get down from there what the fuck are you doing

JUNE: i’m bored, meenah!  _ bored. _ do you know what that means?

MEENAH: yes i know what bored means im not a suckafish

JUNE: it  _ means _ this janky led lightbulb is somehow interesting to me now. i have nothing else to entertain me and i’ve resorted to lightbulbs.

MEENAH: i dont care. get down

JUNE: fiiiiine.

You float down, settling into a chair and crossing your arms. Meenah doesn’t even glance at you. Typical.

You know your friends don’t like her- in fact, most of them, especially Dave, despise her. You’re a little more torn on the matter. Sure, she’s responsible for your being here, and she’s kind of a huge bitch sometimes, and she locked Dave away. But she’s in the same circumstance as you are, in a way- trapped here by her superior, just like you. And you’re pretty sure that, without her, you would’ve all been killed long ago. The outside world is not exactly friendly to people like you.

Besides, you’re in the perfect position to help the world! You think. You’ve had a lot of these missions before and while you’ve helped a few people, saved a few lives, you’re not sure if what you’re doing actually has an impact. Meenah says it does, as does her superior, and that having a government program like the ACI in the first place shows the general public that those with abilities can be helpful, trustworthy, _productive members of society,_ all that jazz. There are times when you think it’s a load of shit, when you know your abilities are just being taken advantage of, but there’s just enough doubt that what you’re doing is important.

You suppose that’s all above your paygrade, though- even if you did decide what you were doing here was wrong, it’s not like you have much choice in the matter. At the end of the day, you’ll keep doing what they tell you to.

There’s a knock on the door, jarring you out of your thoughts. You turn to see one of the guards peek in, followed by a girl- one of the Others, presumably your new partner. She’s short, though you’re not one to talk, and a little chubby and sharp around the edges- which you feel should contradict, but somehow makes sense for her. She has small, pointy horns, and a wickedly sharp smile, but the most striking thing about her is her bright red, iris-less eyes. You stare at them, entranced, but she doesn’t turn to look back- in fact, she seems to not be staring at anything. That’s when you notice the cane.

So she’s _blind_. Interesting. You wonder how that happened. You wonder if her powers had anything to do with it.

Meenah looks up at the guard, her gaze narrowed in disinterested contempt.

MEENAH: what took you so long

GUARD: Sorry, ma’am. We had an incident with B8.

MEENAH: not surprised

MEENAH: whale youre dismissed

MEENAH: go do whatever it is you do when im not supervisin ya

MEENAH: guard some shit i guess

The guard leaves, shutting the door behind her, and the blind girl takes a step forward, her cane clacking loudly in the muffled interior of the room. Looks like she’s taking initiative.

??????: 1 H4V3 TWO QU3ST1ONS 4ND 1 W4NT TH3M 4NSW3R3D. WHY 4M 1 H3R3 4ND WHO’S TH3 BLU3B3RRY?

You sputter, indignant. How’d she even know you were wearing blue? Is she not actually blind? And Meenah has the nerve to chuckle at the nickname, too.

JUNE: b-blueberry?

MEENAH: eel start with the first question since its easiest

MEENAH: b3 meet a5

JUNE: june! my name is june egbert, dummy. not a5 and not ‘blueberry’. and i’m sure you have something you prefer to be called other than b3.

B3’s head snaps towards you, her eyes widening in surprise. You’re not sure why- you know the Others have names, you’ve met Kanaya. Unless… maybe she doesn’t know Kanaya? You guess it’s weird to assume they all know each other, but you’re pretty sure they’re both from the original group of twelve and that they were all friends.

Maybe she was just surprised you asked.

??????: T3R3Z1. PYROP3.

JUNE: nice to meet you, terezi!

MEENAH: okay thats enough mushy frondliness from the nerds moving on

MEENAH: youre probubbly wondering why i brought you here

TEREZI: W3LL, NO SH1T. 1 _D1D _ 4SK YOU TH4T.

You gotta admit, she has spunk. Most of your friends wouldn’t have had the balls to talk back to Meenah like that, either out of fear or respect. You’re more amicable with her, because you’re amicable with pretty much everyone you meet, which means you can usually get away with the occasional jokey comment. On the flip side of that, Dave never gave a shit if he pissed off Meenah, so he would rip into her like no tomorrow. You… miss him. But at least he’s okay.

MEENAH: shut it

MEENAH: do you want to know or naut

TEREZI: JUST G3T ON W1TH 1T.

MEENAH: this is a mission debriefing

MEENAH: kind of a lowkey one which is why theres only two of you fools

MEENAH: it requires a lot more stealth than usual

You perk up. You love a good stealth mission- sneaking in, breezing around undetected, catching the bad guys with their pants down. If you look at it a certain way, it’s almost like pranking.

JUNE: sounds cool! are we thinking more mission: impossible or national treasure with this one?

MEENAH: neither bluefish those are both dumb as shell

JUNE: oh wait i know, you probably prefer something like  _ ocean’s _ eleven.

There’s a short pause, where Meenah gives you a deadpan stare, and you smile, winking suggestively, and Terezi sniffs, her brow furrowed in mild confusion. Has she _not_ seen National Treasure? You’re gonna have to change that.

Or, you guess, you’ll make her… listen to it? You’re not sure how well she can actually see. On second thought, maybe it’s just a dumb idea in general. Maybe you can find, like, a podcast?

Oh, wait, you don’t listen to podcasts.

MEENAH: … eel let that one slide

JUNE: hehehe. so why did you choose me for this and not, like, roxy? they’re way better at sneaking than me.

MEENAH: because we also need someone who can pack a punch

MEENAH: shore roxy can materialize any weaprawn they want but we need something a lil more discreet than that. aka your windy knockouts

JUNE: i guess that makes sense! roxy does get a little… crazy when it comes to deciding how to take people out. they gave me a pogo hammer once! i don’t even know how they thought of that but poof there it was!

You really had no idea what to do with that. Roxy’s so inventive when it comes to making up weapons for you guys. While it does get a little ridiculous from time to time, you treasure every single one of the absurd items they think up.

TEREZI: SO WH4T 3X4CTLY 4M 1 DO1NG? B3C4US3 MY POW3RS DON’T S33M H3LPFUL 4T 4LL 1N TH1S S1TU4T1ON.

MEENAH: youre gonna be the brains behind the operation duh

MEENAH: your powers are super specific aint they

TEREZI: Y34H 1 GU3SS. THOUGH 4S F4R 4S 1 C4N T3LL TH3Y’R3 COMPL3T3LY US3L3SS.

Terezi frowns, one of her clawed thumbs scratching lightly at her hand. She doesn’t seem extremely enthused about using her powers, which is crazy to you. You take any chance you get to fly around, or dissolve into wind, or whatever. Though you suppose your abilities are probably on the funner side.

Meenah seems skeptical of Terezi’s statement, though- she side-eyes her with one eyebrow raised.

MEENAH: reely? i would think seeing how peoples decisions affect the future would be helpful as shell

Interesting. You’re not sure what that means- sounds like a specific version of seeing the future. You're not sure how her powers would differ from Rose’s and while you _would_ ask, you decide it's best not to interrupt- yet.

MEENAH: anyway i need your abilitys specifishity for this mission 

MEENAH: imma need you to be looking at our targets decisions as well as a5s

MEENAH: youll be guiding her through most of the mission

MEENAH: you think your ‘useless’ powers can do that

Terezi hesitates. You watch her, hopefully, because you do really want to work with her, make more friends with the Others, introduce them into the world alongside the rest of the Heightened. You know that probably won’t be happening in a sneak mission, but you’re thinking, or at least hoping, that this means Meenah will let you interact with the Others more in the future, let them go on more _exposed_ missions. You never understood why she separated you all so much- even when you were younger, you didn’t get to meet most of the other human kids for a long time. Given your near-solitary existence, you’re surprised you ended up being as personable as you are. At least, you _think_ you’re personable. Some of your friends turned out a lot more distant emotion-wise, so you don't have much to base your own friendliness on.

Finally, Terezi sighs, turns her head slightly towards you, and nods. You’re not sure what that means. Is she _looking_ at you, in whatever way she is able to? You’ll just have to try to encourage her, because she doesn’t seem all that excited.

TEREZI: SUR3. 1 C4N D3F1N1T3LY H4NDL3 TH4T.

JUNE: cool! you’re gonna be my guy- or girl- in the chair! hopefully you’ll be more helpful than rose, she’s always so cryptic about telling the future. like, just tell me which hallway to take, rose, it isn’t that hard!

MEENAH: alright as much as i love dissing- fishing? naw too obtuse- your dumb fronds im afraid were on a bit of a time cronch here

MEENAH: so we dont got time to glub till were blue in the gills

MEENAH: lets get down to business

Meenah pulls out two of her garish, glittery fuchsia files and smacks one each in front of you and Terezi. You watch Terezi reach out tentatively toward it, her brow furrowed as she touches the file, and then she sniffs the air. Probably trying to figure out what the slightly sticky stuff on the front is. You're not sure whether it's a blessing or a curse that she can't tell that it's Meenah's lipstick imprint.

JUNE: do you have to make these files every time? i mean, jeez, they’re so tacky. didn’t you say we’re on a time crunch? when did you make these?

MEENAH: theres always time to make files dork so shut up and let me explain the mission

TEREZI: UM NOT TO CR1T1C1Z3 YOU OR 4NYTH1NG BUT D1D YOU S3R1OUSLY M4K3 4 F1L3 FOR TH3 BL1ND L4DY? YOU KNOW 1 C4N’T R34D TH3S3, R1GHT? 1 K1ND OF C4N’T S33.

MEENAH: uh cant you see with your other senses

TEREZI: 1 M34N Y34H OF FUCK1NG COURS3 1 C4N. BUT ST1LL, 1T’S 1MPOL1T3.

MEENAH: whale excuse me guess i shouldve asked before wasting printer ink and glitter on this. not.

You start giggling, because any joke at Meenah’s expense is a joke you can get behind. Terezi grins in your direction, before lifting one of the photos up and licking it. Your giggling immediately cuts off with a noise of shocked disgust. So _that’s_ how she ‘sees’? Gross. Meenah just clicks her tongue.

MEENAH: jesus you others are weird as shell

TEREZI: W3LL YOU M4D3 US TH1S W4Y.

MEENAH: cant argue with that

You open your file, wrinkling your nose at the abundance of glitter. Before you can warn Terezi, she licks another document- and cakes her tongue with the golden grainy shit. She gags, wiping the glitter off on her sleeve.

TEREZI: WH4T 1N TH3 FUCK COMP3LL3D YOU TO PUT TH4T MUCH LOOS3 GL1TT3R?

MEENAH: what can i say a woman likes her glitter

TEREZI: W3LL, 1 C4N B4R3LY FUCK1NG R34D 1T W1TH MY TONGU3 CO4T3D 1N TH1S G4RB4G3. WHY DON’T YOU G1V3 TH3 RUNDOWN?

MEENAH: shore

MEENAH: so

MEENAH: we got a SITUATION on our fins

MEENAH: turns out theres a heightened group forming out there

MEENAH: doing some crazy ass shit

MEENAH: planning domestic terror attacks

MEENAH: you know the usual

Terezi looks mildly confused by this, but that tracks. Domestic terror attacks are just another Tuesday for you. Which is… weird to admit, honestly.

MEENAH: see the dude in that photo

MEENAH: turns out hes the one at the top of the food chain

MEENAH: they call him typheus

You grab the picture she’s referring to, which is just a sneakily-taken candid of an average-looking guy. And, of course, it’s blurry and low-quality and exactly what you expect.

MEENAH: hes a pretty powerful heightened who turns out to also have control over storms so really a5 youre the best fit for this job

MEENAH: but his reel danger is his plans cause hes attacking an anti-ability rally

MEENAH: now we need to get rid of this threat without the public knowing cuz we dont want to cause a panic or incite more violence against the heightened

MEENAH: so a5 you gotta take this thing down discreetly

MEENAH: thats where b3 comes in

MEENAH: with your specific mind powers you should be able to guide a5 through this to shut the whole thing down before word gets out

MEENAH: the files contain all the fintel our scouts gathered along with notes from a6

JUNE: oh so rose helped with this one too? why isn’t she here then?

MEENAH: of course a6 helped who do you think predicted the attack was gonna harpoon

MEENAH: she just aint needed for the takedown mission

JUNE: huh.

You shuffle through the files, watching through the corner of your eye as Terezi tentatively licks another. And then she asks a question that surprises you.

TEREZI: SHOULD W3 R34LLY B3 DO1NG TH1S?

Meenah stops, and her perfectly manicured nails tap on the table, light and quick.

MEENAH: water you saying b3

TEREZI: TH1S GUY, TYPH3US, 1S PL4NN1NG ON H1TT1NG 4N 4NT1-4B1L1TY R4LLY, R1GHT? DO3SN’T TH4T M34N H3’S F1GHT1NG FOR US?

MEENAH: sea that would be fine if he was just planning on reasoning with these schmucks

MEENAH: but his plans are violent and dangerous

MEENAH: hes a terrorist threat to america

MEENAH: so we have no choice but to put an end to that

TEREZI: WH4T 4BOUT TH3 4NT1-4B1L1TY P3OPL3? 4R3 TH3Y B31NG V1OL3NT?

MEENAH: this specific group aint threatened violence but if they did we would put a stop to that too

MEENAH: its that simple b3 were just here to keep the peace

Meenah shoots you a look, as if warning you to not say anything. For the record, you weren’t planning to, but you won’t deny the same doubts about the ACI have popped into your head. More often than not, it seems your plans revolve around stopping other ability-users from committing probable crimes. Emphasis on _probable_. You don’t remember the last time you guys took on an anti-ability extremist.

It’s not like you have a choice in the matter. There’s no questioning the orders from the higher-ups. Heck, even Meenah doesn’t have a say in the assignments. You just gotta hope that what you’re doing is actually helping people.

For now, you should probably just try to encourage Terezi as best you can. You throw a comforting smile at her, hoping she can feel it if not directly see it.

JUNE: you in, terezi?

She hesitates, gripping one of the documents in her folder a little too tightly, her claws puncturing the paper. She seems not to notice, though.

TEREZI: SUR3. WH4T DO 1 H4V3 TO DO?

You grin. Time to get down to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this whole chapter in terezi's perspective, started writing the next chapter in june's, and then realized halfway through that it would be better the other way around. so rewriting ensued :) it's all worth it i love writing june anyway


	12. Terezi: Guide Egbert to success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we. have. plot!! finally.

That’s the plan, anyway. Just keep track of a couple dozen people and any of the countless important decisions they might make at any given second, and use that knowledge to advise June. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

It doesn’t help that you’ve never been all that confident in your abilities. Especially not after they led you to killing Vriska. You don’t know how you could have thought that was the right decision. Who did you think you were, judging your best friend's fate like that? Then again, you weren’t very happy with her at the time… and while you’ve both moved past that, the shit she’s let slip concerning what she thinks about you isn’t exactly conducive towards mending your complicated friendship.

Still, you need to rely on your abilities now, because you have to prove you can be useful. You don’t care all that much about saving the world- in fact, you’re pretty sure this particular mission is more than a little bogus. But you _do_ want to convince Condy that the Others like you can be just as successful out in the real world. You want all of your friends, even the ones you don’t really get along with, to at least get the chance. You know Vriska would be pissed if you fucked this up, too, especially if it meant Condy deciding against using her for future missions.

You don’t know why you care about Vriska’s opinion. So what if you piss her off? She obviously didn’t care about _your_ feelings on the matter, not with the way she blew up in the training room. It’s still playing on a loop in the back of your head, the words slicing into you. She said she deserves the chance to go out into the world more than you… and she’s probably right. Of course, she’s almost always right, but that didn’t excuse the fact that it was wrong of her to say it. You had been angry, righteously so, when you’d first stormed away from her, your cane clacking hard against the floor with all the things you wanted to yell back. That anger had faded fast, though, replaced with disappointment and bitter resignment, because you’ve come to expect this from Vriska.

You know your friendship is one-sided. You know you put effort, _real_ effort, into helping Vriska, into forgiving her when she needs a friend, into being there even when she lets you down again, and again, and again. After all, her idea of _helping_ is putting people through physically and emotionally painful trials to make them ‘stronger’. You would chalk it up to her unusual upbringing if yours hadn’t also been exactly as weird. Though, you suppose just because you didn’t inherit her specific brand of batshit crazy doesn’t mean you turned out perfect, either. Far from it, actually. Maybe you’re all a little _fucked in the head_ , as Karkat likes to put it.

But, knowing all this, knowing that Vriska’s never going to give you what you want from her, you still end up putting her needs before yours, even when she’s not in the room.

Not that she’s the only reason you can’t fuck this mission up. Blueberry- your new nickname for June, because she smells like acidic sweetness, mixed with a second, vaguely familiar scent you can’t quite place- is counting on you. You would even say her safety is on the line if you weren’t convinced in her capability to take care of herself- you’ve heard a bit about her abilities from Kanaya, and you could sense the power radiating off of her before you’d even entered the briefing room. She had looked so excited when you’d agreed to the mission, so eager to work with you, and, in a way, you don’t want to let her down, either. You want her to know for a fact that she can trust you, and the rest of the Others.

Leaving the Institute is a complicated process, what with all of you being tucked into a pocket dimension, which is then housed inside a government facility. There are so many ridiculous security measures, you frankly find it shocking that Aradia was able to escape. Then again, she was always resourceful, and you wouldn’t put it past her to find some other means of getting out. The path you take involves ripping a hole in space, for one, and passing about fifty clearance tests, armed guards watching you the whole way, and, needless to say, it’s more than a little intimidating. The Condesce takes care of all of that, though. It's not like you're escaping- you're here on official business. Which you never thought would happen to you, not even after Kanaya got her first assignment outside. You guess you always assumed if you did manage to leave the ACI facility, it would be of your own volition.

Once you actually leave the building, though, things get a whole lot more complicated, at least for you. After all, it’s your first time ever being outside. Of course, you’ve seen- or smelled and tasted, whatever- pictures and videos of outside, gotten faint impressions of soft, sugary white-blue sky and sharp, acrid green grass lingering on your tongue. It’s a whole different ball game actually _being_ there, though, your heightened- _hah_ \- senses assaulted by thousands of subtleties and shades and details, along with the physical scent of the place. You always wondered what dirt and grass and fresh air _actually_ smell like.

You notice, suddenly, that you recognize the scent of air, though you don’t know how. That is, until Condy ushers you and June into a car, slamming the door shut, which _should_ dampen the breezy smell, but it only gets stronger. That’s when you realize that it’s emanating from June, that one component of her you couldn’t figure out. You just… didn’t know that scent yet. You laugh, harsh and loud at the absurdity of it all, surprising June.

JUNE: what was that for?

TEREZI: NOTH1NG, 1 JUST R34L1Z3D SOM3TH1NG R1D1CULOUS

JUNE: oh. what was it?

TEREZI: TH4T 1 D1DN’T KNOW WH4T TH3 W1ND SM3LL3D L1K3

JUNE: oh yeah, this is your first time outside of the aci! congratulations!

TEREZI: TH4NKS, N3RD

JUNE: hey! i am not a nerd.

TEREZI: SORRY, WOULD YOU PR3F3R 1 C4LL YOU BLU3B3RRY?

JUNE: ugh, you’re impossible. just call me june, terezi!

TEREZI: 4LR1GHT, JUN3T3R3Z1

JUNE: that’s not what i meant!

TEREZI: TH3N BLU3B3RRY 1T 1S

She glares at you, and you snicker. Back in the briefing room, you had been tense the entire time, caught between making snide remarks and not wanting to piss off the Condesce too much. Now, though, she’s left you two alone in the backseat of a limo- you’d smelled the long, black stretch of licorice in the parking lot, and the leather seats as you’d climbed in- which means that you can be slightly more yourself. Sure, you’re a little intimidated by June, just due to her experience, but she’s your age, and she seems friendly enough. So you’ll endear yourself to her the same way you did to every one of your friends- by being weird as hell. Or, barring that, making some semi-polite conversation. You can behave. Sometimes.

TEREZI: TH4T’S WH4T YOU SM3LL L1K3, 1N C4S3 TH4T W4SN’T CL34R

JUNE: yeah, i got that. kinda weird that you can just smell that. is it because i’m wearing blue or is that just the vibe i give off?

TEREZI: 4 L1TTL3 B1T OF BOTH

TEREZI: 1 SM3LL TH3 BLU3 OF YOUR CLOTH3S, WH1CH 1S MOR3 L1K3 TH3 SW33T C4NDY 1 G3T FROM TH3 SKY

TEREZI: 4ND TH3N TH3 SM3LL 1 G3T FROM YOU 4S 4 P3RSON 1S K1ND OF S1M1L4R TO HOW YOU M1GHT S33 P3RSON4L1TY TR41TS 1N 4 P3RSON’S POSTUR3, OR TH31R F4C14L 3XPR3SS1ON

TEREZI: YOU H4V3 TH1S B1TT3RSW33T T4NG, PR3TTY MUCH 3X4CTLY WH4T 4 BLU3B3RRY T4ST3S L1K3

TEREZI: THOUGH YOU 4LSO SM3LL L1K3 41R

JUNE: uh… thanks?

TEREZI: 1T’S 4 COMPL1M3NT

TEREZI: 1 SM3LL3D FR3SH 41R FOR TH3 F1RST T1M3 TOD4Y 4ND 1T W4S… FR33

JUNE: hehehe. i guess that’s an apt description of me! i can literally turn into air.

TEREZI: Y34H FOR MOST OF TH3 H31GHT3N3D 1 C4N G3T 4 S3NS3 OF TH31R POW3RS FROM SM3LL 4LON3

JUNE: that’s pretty useful!

TEREZI: W3LL 1’V3 N3V3R R34LLY B33N 1N 4 S1TU4T1ON WH3R3 1 D1DN’T 4LR34DY KNOW 4 P3RSON’S POW3R B3FOR3 SM3LL1NG TH3M

TEREZI: THOUGH NOW THAT 1 TH1NK 4BOUT 1T, T4VROS K1ND OF SM3LL3D L1K3 OUTS1D3, TOO

TEREZI: M4YB3 H1S POW3RS W3R3 R3L4T3D TO YOURS

JUNE: is tavros one of your friends?

TEREZI: 1 DON’T KNOW 4BOUT FR13ND! W3 W3R3N'T TH4T CLOS3

TEREZI: BUT H3 W4S 4 MUT4NT, 1F TH4T’S WH4T YOU’R3 4SK1NG

That’s not exactly true. Just because you weren’t on his team in those mock-training sessions, it doesn’t mean you didn’t bond. You did. Hell, you still remember that faint chocolatey scent coming off of him, rich and sweet. But then your Scourge Sister got in the way and you felt compelled to treat Tavros like shit to stay on her good side. Until she went too far, and you were left with that chocolatey scent, stronger and tainted with iron, in the back of your throat for much longer than you liked to admit.

JUNE: he _was_ a mutant? what happened to him?

TEREZI: H3 D13D, WH4T 3LS3?

JUNE: oh… i didn’t know. sorry. how’d that happen?

TEREZI: WOW, JUN3, WH4T K1ND OF 1NS3NS1T1V3 QU3ST1ON 1S TH4T?

JUNE: jeez, sorry! didn’t mean to pry. i was just curious.

TEREZI: D1D NO ON3 T34CH YOU HUM4NS M4NN3RS?

JUNE: of course they did!!!

TEREZI: H3H3H3

TEREZI: I’M JUST M3SS1NG W1TH YOU

And then you grin at her, wickedly sharp as always, and she goes from apologetic to confused to amusedly outraged in the span of a second.

JUNE: jeez, terezi! did you have to rub it in like that?

TEREZI: Y3S

JUNE: ugh you’re impossible.

TEREZI: 4R3 YOU ST1LL CUR1OUS? 1 R3M3MB3R LOTS OF D3T41LS

TEREZI: 1 C4N T3LL YOU 3X4CTLY HOW H1S BLOOD SM3LL3D, 1F YOU W4NT M3 TO-

JUNE: ew, no! what the hell? that’s- no!

TEREZI: YOU SUR3?

JUNE: yes i’m sure!

TEREZI: 1F YOU S4Y SO

JUNE: i do! jesus.

JUNE: and you said _i’m_ the insensitive one.

TEREZI: H3H3H3H3

She shakes her head, her nose crinkling in disgust, but you can see her fighting a smile. That’s a point for you, even if you do feel a _little_ weird disrespecting Tavros like that.

TEREZI: R3ST 1N P34C3 T4VROS

TEREZI: OR 1N P13C3S

JUNE: oh my gosh! i am changing the subject.

JUNE: are you excited for your first mission?

Well, then. You could say you’ve been waiting most of your life for this opportunity, except that would be misleading given your recent apathy toward the idea. You could say you’re afraid you won’t be helpful, or that you’ll downright fuck it up, except that would probably freak June out a little. You could say you’re wishing you had any other choice but this, except that was an awkward topic you desperately wanted to avoid.

TEREZI: 1 GU3SS

TEREZI: 1’M SUR3 1’M 4BOUT 4S 3XC1T3D 4S YOU W3R3 FOR YOUR F1RST M1SS1ON

JUNE: oh! well, i don’t exactly remember too much about that, it was so long ago! i was, what, thirteen? okay, maybe five years isn’t that long, but seriously that day passed in such a blur! i think i was too nervous to ever get excited about it.

JUNE: is that how you feel?

TEREZI: N3RVOUS?

Sure, you’re nervous. You’re downright itching from the anxieties crawling through you, scratching beneath your skin.

TEREZI: PL34S3, 4S 1F

TEREZI: 1’M NOT L4M3 3NOUGH TO B3 N3RVOUS

JUNE: it’s not lame to be nervous! it’s totally normal. i mean, we’re going after some pretty dangerous guys here, and yeah, we’ve trained for it, but things could always go wrong!

JUNE: i don’t know. maybe it’s just because you’ll be sitting in the car the whole time, safe from the action. no reason to be nervous with a job _that_ lame.

Is she… _teasing_ you? Crazy.

TEREZI: WOW, BLU3B3RRY, 1’M HURT

TEREZI: 1’LL H4V3 YOU KNOW 1 WOULD B3 JUST 4S L3V3L-H34D3D 1F 1 _W4S_ ON TH3 FRONT L1N3 W1TH YOU

TEREZI: 1’M US3D TO D4NG3R

JUNE: oh, really? how so?

TEREZI: 1’V3 T4K3N DOWN 4 F3W MURD3R3RS

You’re banking on the idea that the Condesce wouldn’t have told them shit about what happened with your friends, what with her idiotic insistence on keeping the Others separated from the Heightened, and the fact that June hadn’t heard about Tavros. You’re proven right when June’s mouth falls open in shock.

JUNE: what?

TEREZI: Y34H, NO B1G D34L

TEREZI: ON3 OF TH3 OTH3RS, WHO 1 B4R3LY TOL3R4T3D 4S 4 FR13ND, JUST SN4PP3D ON3 D4Y, K1LL3D 4 COUPL3 OF US

TEREZI: 1 H4D TH3 PL34SUR3 OF SUBDU1NG H1M

JUNE: whoa. is that how, uh, tavros died?

TEREZI: NO

TEREZI: TH4T W4S SOM3ON3 3LS3’S F4ULT

TEREZI: why… why didn’t i know this happened?

TEREZI: OBV1OUSLY B3C4US3 CONDY D1DN’T W4NT YOU TO KNOW! DUH

TEREZI: TH1S 1S S1MPL3 STUFF, JUN3

TEREZI: CONDY DO3SN’T R34LLY COOP3R4T3 WH3N 1T COM3S TO G1V1NG US 1NFORM4T1ON

June frowned at that, as if troubled by the idea that the Condesce would keep anything from her. Ha. You’re not sure if the more human wards under Condy’s care received preferential treatment, but the slight betrayal on June’s face paints a pretty clear picture.

JUNE: what about the others?

TEREZI: WH4T 4BOUT TH3M? 

JUNE: no, ugh, not _the others_. whoever named you guys that was a dumbass.

JUNE: i meant the other murderers. you said you took down a few. and that tavros’ death was ‘someone else’s fault’.

You guess you’ve tiptoed around bringing Vriska up long enough. Maybe you shouldn’t indulge June’s intrusive questions, but you can’t help it. No point in not telling her; she clearly wants to know, and what better way to make friends than revealing a bunch of slightly traumatizing shit from your past? You’re either gonna come off as unapologetically honest or as a nonchalant weirdo who doesn’t really care that they watched their friends die. Just depends how you play it off.

Besides, if Condy didn’t want June to know about this, then you’ll get immense pleasure from revealing it all. Even if it means talking about Vriska.

TEREZI: TH3R3 W4S ONLY ON3 OTH3R

TEREZI: SH3’S TH3 ON3 WHO GOT T4VROS

TEREZI: SH3 4LW4YS H4D SOM3 W31RD 4N1MOS1TY TOW4RDS H1M BUT 1 N3V3R THOUGHT SH3 WOULD… 4CT ON 1T

TEREZI: THOUGH 1 GU3SS H3R BR34K1NG H1S L3GS SHOULD’V3 B33N 4 D34D G1V34W4Y

JUNE: what?!

TEREZI: Y3P, 1T W4S K1ND4 CR4ZY

TEREZI: _SH3 _ W4S K1ND4 CR4ZY

TEREZI: 4ND 1 H4D TO M4K3 4 D3C1S1ON 1 D1DN’T W4NT TO M4K3

JUNE: holy crap. is she dead?

TEREZI: NO

Technically, it’s true. She _isn’t_ dead, even if she was for a few minutes there.

JUNE: so what happened?

You decide, abruptly, that you don’t want to talk about this anymore. Talking about what happened with Vriska is like opening up those Russian nesting dolls. You haven’t even mentioned what happened with Aradia, and Sollux by association, or all the shit that happened between you and her the first time. It’s complicated and layered and honestly you don’t expect June to understand.

TEREZI: 4 LOT

TEREZI: 1 DON’T R34LLY W4NT TO G3T 1NTO 1T

JUNE: oh. okay.

Thankfully, you’re saved from further questioning as the car grinds to a halt. You’re not sure how long you had been traveling for- you hadn’t even noticed when the car started moving, and your conversation and less-than-pleasant thoughts kept your mind too distracted to track the time passing. Condy appears again- you recognize her rotting-fruit scent, all dragonfruit and copper, lemon and fish. She opens one of the doors and hands both you and June little earpieces- you only know they’re earpieces because you were briefed that you would receive them- complete with a separate push-to-talk button like the world’s shittiest, smallest walkie-talkies.

Being blind is such a chore sometimes, you swear.

THE CONDESCE: you ready bluefish

THE CONDESCE: you know what to do

JUNE: yep! we went over it about a million times.

TEREZI: HOW DO TH3S3 34RP13C3 TH1NGS 3V3N WORK WH3N YOU TURN 1NTO W1ND?

There’s a moment of silence, and you hear June shift in her seat, probably moving to look towards the Condesce. She just clicks her tongue in response.

THE CONDESCE: i dunno prob some seahorseshit about soundwaves

THE CONDESCE: we dont reely question it

TEREZI: M4K3S P3RF3CT S3NS3

Condy hisses out a little frustrated noise, but it gets a giggle out of June, and really that makes it all worth it.

THE CONDESCE: ok off you go i want this over with

JUNE: alright! see you later.

JUNE: oh, sorry, meenah, i meant _sea_ you later.

There is literally no difference in the words, but the Condesce still snickers. You would roll your eyes if it would have any visible effect.

THE CONDESCE: heck yeah you did

THE CONDESCE: now get. eel stay here with b3, make sure nothing goes wrong. and remember once youre out there were using code names only

JUNE: fine. guess i’ll just have to call you 01, then.

THE CONDESCE: thats kinda the point bluefish

JUNE: that’s _a5_ to you, missy.

The Condesce sighs.

THE CONDESCE: go. now. before i gut you

JUNE: don’t have to tell me twice!

You feel a rush of air pass you- not as cold as you were expecting, more like a warm, summer-y blast… not that you know what summer feels like. Just like that, she’s gone, leaving you with the Condesce, who you can feel staring at you- there’s a faint pressure to her gaze, possibly from all the power held behind it. You’re still not sure exactly how many abilities she’s packing- if there weren’t so many muddled together you might have been able to sniff them out. You guess she accumulated a lot, what with her original power being able to take others’ lives, and their powers with them. You feel like you should be intimidated, especially since you have no idea what she’s capable of, but you’re not afraid of her.

TEREZI: SO WH4T NOW?

THE CONDESCE: we just wait. and when the time is right you give a5 directions

TEREZI: 1S 1T SO H4RD TO US3 OUR R34L N4M3S?

THE CONDESCE: yep. were on a mission

TEREZI: BUT 3V3N WH3N W3'R3 OFF M1SS1ONS, YOU R3FUS3 TO C4LL US BY OUR N4M3S

TEREZI: NO ON3 C4LLS YOU 01, NOT 3V3N YOUR FR13NDS

TEREZI: 4ND YOU 4LW4YS US3 TH31R R34L N4M3S

She snorts derisively, shifting in her seat. The faux-leather seat squeaks faintly.

THE CONDESCE: whale thats ‘cause we werent raised in the institute. we actually _have_ reel names. you posers just made up random names 

THE CONDESCE: like terezi? where did you even get that

TEREZI: 1S TH3R3 4 PROBL3M W1TH MY N4M3?

THE CONDESCE: no. but i _do_ got a problem with you glubbin bout shit that dont matter

THE CONDESCE: you think youre so smart bringing up my friends like that. like youre gonna solve this big mystery or some shit

THE CONDESCE: heres the catch though there aint no mystery that needs solving

THE CONDESCE: so why dont you just clam up and do your job

You must’ve hit a nerve, bringing up her friends. Too bad you don’t care. You’re about to retaliate, hoping you come up with another scathing reply on the spot, but thankfully June saves you the trouble. Your earpiece crackles, as does Condy’s- with your improved hearing, you only catch it faintly, but you know it’s there- then June’s voice comes through, hushed but crystal-clear.

JUNE: hey guys. i’m in the warehouse, hiding behind some random storage containers. there are a couple dozen guys here that i think i can take out. non-lethally of course. just checking in to hear tere- b3’s opinion on whether i should ambush them or sneak around and check out the scene. also are you able to see the enemies’ decisions? over.

You facepalm. Enemies? _Over?_ Can she get any dorkier?

TEREZI: 45, TH3S3 4R3N’T W4LK13-T4LK13S

TEREZI: BUT SUR3, 1’LL CH3CK TH3 S1TU4T1ON FOR YOU

JUNE: they are basically walkie-talkies. they even have that little dumb button you have to press every time. and saying over is fun anyway! over.

THE CONDESCE: i know i tell you this all the glubbing time girl but you are ridiculous

You tune them out, focusing on June. Thankfully your powers don’t require you to be near anyone. At first you’re hesitant, accessing an ability that has let you down before, but once you reach out, it comes as naturally as always. You can see- and this really is the closest you get to physically seeing things with your eyes anymore- her decision paths laid out in front of you, the future branching further and further out until you can no longer discern one path from the next. You focus on the present instead, the outcomes of the main decision she’s facing- between scoping out the warehouse or ambushing the targets. The right decision makes itself pretty clear to you, but you probe further, looking for other minds to hone in on around June. You’re able to find a few of the people nearest to June, and you glance through their upcoming decisions, getting a clearer picture of the exact strategy June should take. Still, you make sure you’re absolutely confident in your appraisal of the situation before telling her what to do.

TEREZI: DON’T DO 4NY R3CON

TEREZI: SOM3ON3 W1LL NOT1C3 YOU 4ND CONFRONT YOU 4ND W3 OBV1OUSLY DON’T W4NT TH4T R1GHT NOW, NOT WH3N TH3Y H4V3 TH4T MUCH B4CKUP

TEREZI: 4MBUSH 1S TH3 W4Y TO GO, BUT DON’T TRY TO T4K3 TH3M 4LL 4T ONC3

TEREZI: 1T’S GOTT4 B3 ON3-BY-ON3, 4ND M4K3 SUR3 YOU 4R3N’T D3T3CT3D

JUNE: great. sounds super simple! got any tips on how i’m supposed to do that?

TEREZI: 1 W4S G3TT1NG TO TH4T! QU13T

TEREZI: TH3R3’S 4 GUY N34R WH3R3 YOU’R3 H1D1NG, TO YOUR L3FT

TEREZI: ST4RT W1TH H1M 4ND M4K3 1T 1NCONSP1CUOUS

JUNE: i’ve got it! thanks, b3.

The Condesce hums contemplatively, before speaking directly to you, not over the line to June. You wonder how much she can see of what’s going on with June- does she have any abilities that would let her be aware of that?

THE CONDESCE: why him first

TEREZI: H3 W4S SUPPOS3D TO B3 S3CUR1TY

TEREZI: H1S JOB 1S TO SOUND TH3 4L4RM WH3N SOM3TH1NG GO3S WRONG, SO 1F JUN3 H4D GON3 FOR 4NYON3 3LS3 F1RST, H3 WOULD’V3 NOT1C3D

TEREZI: 1 TH1NK H1S POW3R H4S SOM3TH1NG TO DO W1TH B31NG 4W4R3 OF H1S FR13NDS’ W3LLB31NGS

THE CONDESCE: you can sea that much

TEREZI: NO

TEREZI: BUT 1 C4N S33 HOW JUN3’S D3C1S1ON TO GO 4FT3R 4NYON3 3LS3 F1RST C4US3S TH1S DUD3 TO D3C1D3 TO W4RN 3V3RYON3 3LS3

THE CONDESCE: sounds complicated

TEREZI: SUR3

It’s not, really. In fact, it comes easily to you, almost eerily so. You sort through all the information thrown at you by other people’s heads in the same way you might take a step- it requires some effort, probing ahead with your cane, and the first burst of energy to propel you forward, but you’re not consciously controlling every muscle individually. You just… step.

JUNE: alright! one down, about twenty to go.

JUNE: who’s next?

You guide June through the rest of the warehouse, helping her decide which people to go after, becoming aware of the others in the building as June sweeps the place. It’s methodical, quick, and not very difficult. The element of surprise is a pretty powerful one, you suppose, even if June’s facing a roomful of other ability-users. It’s not long before she's battling through the last three, downing them with ease.

JUNE: that’s everyone, right?

TEREZI: Y34H, 1 B3L13V3 SO

JUNE: mission complete! awesome.

There’s one thing that’s troubling to you, though.

TEREZI: W41T

TEREZI: D1D YOU G3T TYPH3US? 1 D1DN’T S3NS3 TH4T 4NY OF TH3 P3OPL3 1N TH3 W4R3HOUS3 W3R3 H1M, BUT 1 COULD B3 WRONG

JUNE: i… don’t know. from what i can tell, and none of the people i took down look remotely like typheus. i don’t think he’s here.

THE CONDESCE: or maybe hes like you, a5

JUNE: you… you think he could be in the air? i don’t-

The line cuts off, taking June’s voice with it. The Condesce curses.

TEREZI: 45? YOU TH3R3? JUN3?

You can still hear your message echo back from the Condesce’s earpiece, so at least you know that the connection isn’t completely broken. But June, for whatever reason, doesn’t respond.

THE CONDESCE: leave it. shell respond when she gets the chance

TEREZI: WH4T DO W3 DO? WH4T 1F SH3’S 1N TROUBL3?

THE CONDESCE: i know bluefish. she can get herself outta a scrape or two. ill trust her to handle it. but if she doesnt get back to us in five minutes ill go in

TEREZI: F1V3 M1NUT3S? 4R3 YOU JOK1NG? SO M4NY TH1NGS C4N GO WRONG 1N F1V3 M1NUT3S!

THE CONDESCE: whale you can still see her decisions cant you? you should be able to figure out if anything goes wrong

Oh, right. You almost forgot you could do that. Does that mean Condy _isn’t_ able to see June right now? You don't smell any deceit in her words, and you're pretty skilled at sniffing out lies, but she could be misleading you. If she isn't, though, and she really _can't_ see June... well, that’s a tidbit you’ll definitely be examining later.

You refocus back on June to find that everything shifted. Right before she cut out she’d had a single, two-branch choice between sweeping through the warehouse again or returning to the car. Now… a lot has changed.

It seems Typheus decided to show up, after all. You don’t know where he came from, but you can see the biggest decision June is facing right now, one that completely blindsides you. It’s the decision to trust Typheus. You look into the future, frowning at what you see, because you’re sure it can’t be right- whether or not June decides to trust Typheus, she’s allowed to leave unscathed, but she also doesn’t apprehend Typheus in either. The strangest part is that you don’t see a third option- no decision to fight Typheus, no decision to flee. You at least expected the options to be there, even if they ended poorly for June, but you can’t visualize them, which means that June isn’t even considering those as choices. She’s letting Typheus get away. So what changed?

You try looking at Typheus instead, but if anything that just makes you more confused. There’s no intention in Typheus to hurt June- in fact, you don’t even see intention to hurt the people at the anti-ability rally he was supposedly planning to bomb. Typheus is set on one decision, the only decision you can see for a good portion of the near future- the decision to give June a choice.

Frustratingly enough, you can’t make out any more details than that, and you can’t hear their conversation, so you have no idea what’s going on. June’s not in any danger, but you can’t help but be wary for her anyhow.

THE CONDESCE: so? is she okay

TEREZI: OH… Y34H

You’re about to say more, give the Condesce the rundown, but you hesitate, because you know you have the upper hand information-wise here. Condy certainly wouldn’t approve of the decision June’s making, or that she’s so willing to let Typheus slip away. In fact, she would probably order June to take Typheus down, and you’re not sure how that would play out- except then you remember you can check her decisions, too, and you see that’s exactly how she would react. You know it’s part of the mission, bringing in Typheus, but you were never all that convinced on the importance of taking him down, especially now that you’ve seen that he poses no threat to you or June or anyone else. Maybe you shouldn’t be the one making the judgement calls, but you’re the only one who can.

Anyway, you never really liked Condy all that much. It’s not much of a struggle when you decide to leave out parts of the truth. You can’t piece together the long-term effects of this decision, but in the present it’s the only one that makes sense.

THE CONDESCE: so? what harpooned?

TEREZI: W3LL, 1 S4W JUN3

TEREZI: 1 DON’T KNOW WH4T H4PP3N3D, BUT SH3 H4S 4NOTH3R D3C1S1ON

THE CONDESCE: … which is?

Once again, you’re saved from answering the Condesce as June’s voice crackles back into existence. If you weren’t already doing her a huge favor by covering for her, you would have to insist on repaying her.

JUNE: sorry, guys! another guy appeared- not typheus, unfortunately- and i had to hide quick. he’s freaking out about his partners and he might be calling for backup. b3, what do i do?

She’s lying, blatantly so, not that the Condesce has any way of knowing that. You’re almost surprised by her readiness to mislead Condy, when she’d been so chummy with her earlier. But she knows you can see her decisions- in fact, she still hasn’t decided on trusting Typheus or not- which means she knows you can see just how much she’s lying. That’s when you realize that she’s putting her complete trust in you on this one- trusting you not to tell the Condesce what’s up, trusting you to help her make this decision. She’s taking a risk, a huge risk, and you feel something like pride swell in your chest.

You’ll just have to show her you trust her in return. Whatever she’s doing with Typheus right now, whatever’s made her refuse to fight him, you don’t care. You have to take just as big of a risk.

TEREZI: TRUST YOUR 1NST1NCTS, JUN3

JUNE: … alright.

You can feel the Condesce’s quizzical stare on you- it certainly was a strangely vague direction, especially compared to how direct the rest of yours were. But it’s enough for June to understand you have her back.

You see the moment the decision is made, June’s branching paths solidifying behind one choice- trusting Typheus. You wish you knew what that meant, wish you knew what they were talking about, but you have to believe that she’s making the right call here. And maybe, if you’re lucky, she’ll trust you enough to tell you what happened.

JUNE: okay i got him! that should be the last of them! unfortunately, typheus was nowhere to be found. he must’ve caught wind of us and ditched his friends.

JUNE: hehe. wind. get it?

THE CONDESCE: ugh. yes we get it. leave the puns to me

THE CONDESCE: that's too fucking bad though. really thought we could bring him down. oh whale.

THE CONDESCE: ill send in cleanup crew to collect all the unconscious suckerfish. you can come back to the car a5

It’s only a few minutes before June’s back, announcing her arrival by rapping on your window. The Condesce opens the door for her and she floats in, settling next to you. Condy questions June on her mission, though it doesn’t take long, especially since it’s all information you both know. Eventually she leaves, disappearing to who-knows-where, and once again you’re alone with June, the car moving under you.

JUNE: so… about what happened. do… _do_ you know what happened?

TEREZI: 1S 1T S4F3 TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T H3R3?

June goes silent for a second, humming faintly. You think… is that buzzing?

TEREZI: WH4T 4R3 YOU DO1NG?

JUNE: hehehe. just accessing one of the perks of being connected to the wind. finding things is as easy as expanding my awareness to every molecule of air in the room.

TEREZI: 4ND?

JUNE: no bugs. well, there are a few ants and stuff just chilling in the carpet. i meant like-

TEREZI: 1 KNOW WH4T YOU M34NT

JUNE: like no microphones. no one bugged-

TEREZI: 1 GOT 1T

JUNE: the car! jeez, you could at least let me finish my sentence.

TEREZI: 1 C3RT41NLY COULD

TEREZI: BUT TH4T WOULDN’T B3 FUN

JUNE: god, you’re impossible.

TEREZI: WH4T 4BOUT PSYCH1C L1ST3N3RS? 1’M PR3TTY SUR3 CONDY C4N’T H34R US, OR 4T L34ST SH3 W4SN’T 4BL3 TO T3LL WH4T W3NT DOWN W1TH YOU

TEREZI: BUT 1 COULD B3 WRONG

TEREZI: DO YOU KNOW 1F SH3 H4S TH4T K1ND OF C4P4B1L1TY?

JUNE: i don’t. and if she _were_ listening in, you’d probably be able to tell better than i could.

She has a point there. You’ve always been more attuned to when someone’s taking a backseat in your head, though you don’t know whether that’s the result of years of exposure to Vriska or your superhuman senses. Nevertheless, you don’t feel Condy psychically lurking.

TEREZI: 1 TH1NK W3’R3 GOOD

JUNE: cool. it’s probably safest to talk about it here, before we get back to the aci.

TEREZI: 1 W4S TH1NK1NG TH3 S4M3 TH1NG

TEREZI: SO WH4T H4PP3N3D W1TH TYPH3US? YOU M4D3 TH3 CHO1C3 TO TRUST H1M

JUNE: right.

JUNE: he has a plan. he doesn’t want to hurt anyone at all. he actually just wants to help the heightened, including the ones at the institute. including the mutants.

JUNE: he wants to set us free.

JUNE: and he asked for my help.

TEREZI: 4ND YOU 4CC3PT3D?

JUNE: yep. i believe that he means it.

TEREZI: SO 4R3 YOU GO1NG TO T3LL M3 TH1S PL4N?

June pauses again, and you get the feeling she’s sizing you up.

JUNE: you had my back in there. you could’ve told the condesce i was lying, but you didn’t.

TEREZI: OF COURS3 1 D1DN’T!

TEREZI: ON3, 1 DON’T 3X4CTLY L1K3 H3R, SO 1 H4V3 NO R34SON TO 4CTU4LLY FOLLOW H3R ORD3RS

TEREZI: TWO, 1 TRUST YOU

TEREZI: 1 M34N, 4LL OF US 1N TH3 4C1, W3 ONLY H4V3 34CH OTH3R, SO W3 R34LLY H4V3 NO CHO1C3 _BUT_ TO TRUST 34CH OTH3R

JUNE: that’s true.

TEREZI: BUT 1 TH1NK 3V3N OUTS1D3 OF TH4T YOU’R3 4 PR3TTY TRUSTWORTHY P3RSON

TEREZI: 4 L1TTL3 N41V3 4ND TOO CH1PP3R FOR MY T4ST3S, BUT TRUSTWORTHY

JUNE: thanks! for the record, i trust you, too, terezi. even if you are weird and annoying sometimes

TEREZI: 1T’S P4RT OF MY CH4RM

JUNE: so, you wanna know the plan then?

TEREZI: OF COURS3 1 DO! 1 JUST 3XP3R13NC3D OUTS1D3 FOR TH3 F1RST T1M3, 4ND CONDY’S CR4ZY 1F SH3 TH1NKS 1’LL B3 CONT3NT ST4Y1NG 1N TH4T 4WFUL, BL34CH-ST1NK1NG BU1LD1NG FOR3V3R, W41T1NG FOR H3R N3XT GL1TT3R-CO4T3D 4SS1GNM3NT TO 4SS4ULT MY POOR TONGU3

TEREZI: 1 W4NT OUT

June giggles.

JUNE: alright! i’ll tell you what he told me.

You spend the rest of the car ride discussing your escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is terezi so hard for me to write. i love terezi.  
> also not this chapter being twice as long as any of the others. whoops.


	13. Jane: Prepare to announce your big plan.

You like to think of yourself as a businesswoman. Sure, you were born with mysterious powers to bring life to the dead, raised in a secluded government facility, and given all the tools you needed to one day take over, but that doesn’t mean you won’t take your job seriously. Just because you’re practically being handed the reins to the whole operation doesn’t mean you don’t need to be prepared for it! You’re determined to do not just a good job, but the _best_ job.

And so, using all your skills in business, which you gained from online crash courses and the like- it’s not like you have any actual experience, since you haven’t had the chance to run a business- you decided to jump the gun and devise a plan. Who says you can’t start improving the state of things before you’re in charge? Nobody, that’s who. And anyone who does is just a gosh-darn fool, as far as you’re concerned.

Hoo. You really need to watch your language. Almost let an expletive slip. That’s far too unprofessional for a woman such as yourself.

You suppose your eagerness to execute this plan comes from some niggling doubts in the back of your head, ones you try to push away. But you can’t help but wonder why the Condesce chose you of all people to be her second-in-command. There were always other options- your sister, for one, takes the charge in most of your missions, acting as the natural-born leader everyone else knows her to be. If the Condesce was to choose anyone to lead after she was gone, you would think June would be the obvious choice. There was also the matter of the Others to consider- from what you understand, each of the original twelve are somehow connected to each of the Condesce’s friends, like warped, inhuman reflections. That included the Condesce’s own mirror, a mutant you’ve seen around a few times named Feferi. It seemed to you that, barring Egbert, the Condesce’s weird pseudo-sibling would be the runner-up. So you can't help but wonder why _you're_ in this position.

The Condesce has given you her reasons- she wants a human taking up her mantle, one that shares her ability to manipulate life, and one who has her same shrewd, practical mind for running a government program. While you’re pleased to hear her speak so highly of you, you can’t help but wonder whether you’re really up for the task.

It’s especially apparent now, when your team is crumbling and you’re floundering to hold it together. It makes strategy-training sessions like these nigh-impossible, and you’ve just about had it trying to wrangle these stray cats into staying in the same room for more than an hour. It’s hard enough that one of your teammates is locked up for the foreseeable future- Dave just _had_ to be uncooperative, like always- but it seems that your turnout decreases a little more every day. Case in point: right now.

JANE: Alright, does anyone know where Jake and Roxy are?

You cross your arms and tap your foot, directing your question to the only people who did show up- Rose, Jade, and your sister, June. You don’t ask after Dirk, because you know exactly where he is, too busy mentally beating himself up to come to the daily meetings he never dared to miss before the Dave fiasco. But you at least expected Jake and Roxy to show up. You’re feeling awfully isolated with your friends missing- sure, the younger kids are your friends, too, but it’s different with Dirk and Jake and Roxy. They’re your closest pals, and they’re supposed to have your back. Everything about your situation is hard enough without them deserting you.

Okay, maybe you’re being a little dramatic. It’s just one strategy training meeting. But still.

ROSE: I’m afraid I don’t know. If Roxy had a more pressing engagement, they certainly did not tell me. As for Jake, I haven’t the faintest clue what he could possibly be doing at any time, ever.

JANE: Aren’t you the seer?

ROSE: Jane, we’ve been over this.

JANE: Yes, yes, I know, you’re future-telling doesn’t work like that! It’s just frustrating, is all.

ROSE: Frustrating? I find it interesting you might feel that way, though perhaps a few missing friends isn’t all there is to it. Could something else be bothering you, Jane?

From any other person, that might have been an innocently sincere question of concern. But from Rose Lalonde… well. Let’s just say the way she’s looking at you, her eyes crinkled in bemusement, one hand demurely concealing her smirk, is not exactly screaming innocent _or_ sincere.

JANE: Why would something be bothering me? I’m absolutely peachy. Never felt better!

ROSE: Of course. My mistake. Continue your roll call, then.

You know she’s messing with you- she’s like Dave in that respect- but _gosh_ do you always find it annoying! You suppose Roxy does the same thing, but at least they have the wherewithal to make it obvious they’re joking. Rose and Dave just seem to find their own enjoyment in needling you as much as possible.

In some ways, you’re almost glad Dave is _preoccupied._ Just one less thorn in your side.

JANE: June, Jade, you two know anything?

You look over at them just in time to see Jade fall out of the air. She smacks against the floor, her groan devolving into a giggle, as June rematerializes and sheepishly grins at you. You would chew them out for messing around, but it’s honestly a relief to see. Jade’s been almost as mopey as Dirk, ever since Dave first jumped ship.

JUNE: sorry, jane! we were just, um, checking the lightbulb!

JANE: Checking the lightbulb?

JADE: it was flickering!

You glance at where Jade is pointing and are surprised to see that one bulb is actually flickering. Huh. You had just assumed they were making an excuse, though you still feel like June holding Jade up with wind was a _bit_ excessive. Oh well. You guess you can spare them the lecture, just this once. You’re feeling awfully generous.

JANE: Good to know. Do either of you know anything about where Roxy or Jake could be?

JUNE: nope! haven’t seen roxy or jake since the last time we all met! uh, minus dave and dirk, of course. so… not since yesterday.

JADE: roxy hung out in my room last night again. but i don’t know where she is now.

Interesting. You didn’t realize that Jade and Roxy were growing closer. You try to tell yourself it’s a good sign, but you’re not sure how you feel about your closest friend finding someone else to “hang out” with. You know it’s probably your fault- you’ve been spending more and more time with the Condesce as she gives you more responsibilities befitting of a future… department head? You’re not sure what her actual job is anymore- it’s been so conflated with the mock-irreverent titles Dave made up, which she subsequently adopted, that you can’t remember what she was originally called. 

The fact of the matter is, you’re too busy for your gossip sessions with Roxy or your chummy conversations with Dirk or your awkward half-flirting with Jake. You’re a busy gal with a lot on your plate, and you have to handle it, and your friends just wouldn’t understand.

Speaking of friends, you’ve stopped paying attention to the ones in front of you. Whoops! Great job being a leader, Jane, you really handled that one well!

JANE: Well, in any case, we should begin training! We’ll have to work extra hard to make up for our missing-

ROSE: Hold on.

JANE: What?

You turn towards Rose, ready to snap irritably at her, but before you can, the door bangs open. You whirl around and find yourself face-to-face with two of the missing friends- and not the ones you were expecting.

ROXY: whaddup guys guess who pulled dirk outta the pity pit

DIRK: ‘Sup.

It takes you a couple of seconds to process what you’re seeing- Dirk Strider, in the flesh, not shut into his room, wasting away on his bed, but _here_ , standing in front of you. And he looks fine- sure, maybe his posture is slightly more sloped than usual, and you think you see bags under his eyes through the shades, but he’s here. You glance between him and Roxy, brow furrowed.

JANE: What- how? You’ve been in your room for weeks!

DIRK: Like Roxy said. I was in the pity pit, and now I’m not.

ROSE: Very aptly put, Strider.

Glancing back at Rose reveals that she is indeed smirking, her gaze pointed straight at you. You’re convinced sometimes that she lives to needle at you.

JANE: You knew he was coming today, didn’t you?

ROSE: I suspected it was a possible future.

JANE: Oh, did you? You didn’t think that was something you should tell me?

ROSE: I certainly considered it.

JUNE: well _i_ for one am glad to see that dirk is back!

Your squabbling with Rose will have to wait for a more convenient time. You turn your attention back to Dirk, who was watching your exchange with Rose with a barely-perceptible smirk. You hadn’t even realized how much you’d missed him. You think you would hug him if he was a hugging kind of person.

JANE: Agreed. I’m happy to see you again.

DIRK: You too, Jane.

He gives you what you could generously consider a smile, and now you _really_ want to hug him. You know what? Fudge it. You want a hug, and not even Dirk Allergic-To-Physical-Touch Strider is going to stop you.

You rush Dirk, arms outstretched, so he has less time to get away, though you’re sure it wouldn't matter either way. You know he could flash-step away if he really wanted to, which is why you’re frankly surprised when he allows you to barrel into him, wrapping your arms around his torso. He’s never been more than a few inches taller than you, so even though he’s all skinny, sharp limbs, the hug is comfortable. Slowly but surely, his arms come around to hold you back, stiff but warm. It only lasts for a few seconds, but it’s somehow one of the nicest hugs you’ve ever had.

He eventually pulls back, and you grin at him before turning to Roxy.

JANE: Whatever it is you told him, Roxy, you’re a miracle worker.

ROXY: its no biggie

They wink at you, then at Dirk, obnoxiously exaggerated, and you have to wonder what that’s about. What _did_ they talk about?

No matter. You’ve got bigger fish to fry- okay, the Condesce might be rubbing off on you a little bit. What you _meant_ was it’s time to get down to business.

JANE: Do you either of you know where Jake is?

DIRK: Well, I haven’t seen anyone for the past two months, so… 

Roxy elbows Dirk.

ROXY: what he means is no, we don’t. didn’t see him on our way here

JANE: Why isn’t he here? It’s not like he has anything better to do.

DIRK: To be fair, I didn’t have anything better to do, either, and that didn’t stop me from not showing up.

JUNE: okay, dirk, we get it. you were gone. big deal.

DIRK: I bet it was. Must've been real tough slogging through assignments without my steady supply of humorous topical references.

JUNE: and i thought you were annoying when you were depressed.

JANE: Alright, that’s enough bickering out of you two!

ROSE: You're one to talk.

JANE: Excuse me? I do _not_ bicker.

ROSE: Then what, exactly, would you call what we're doing right now?

JANE: It's only _polite conversation_ , of course.

Just like that, everyone in the room is looking at the two of you. Your near-boiling arguments with her aren't anything new- you've always chafed against her uppity ways and her insistence on maintaining an air of mystery. You pride yourself on being a bit of a sleuth, taking pleasure in uncovering the truth, so having someone like Rose around, who possesses a wealth of information she cattily refuses to share the majority of, is infuriating. You're not sure why she takes so much pleasure in purposefully provoking you, or what she thinks she's gaining out of it. Your clashes only became more frequent once Dave left, though, once again, you have no idea what that has to do with anything.

Thankfully, someone tries to alleviate the tension in the room.

JADE: i could go look for jake!

JANE: I suppose you could… On the other hand, Dirk's back! I wouldn't want to squander any time looking for Jake.

JANE: If he misses out, that's on him.

JADE: oh. ok! that's fine.

She seems disappointed by your decision, though that makes sense, seeing how Jake is her brother. What makes less sense to you is the way Dirk frowns, showing more emotion than you've seen in years. It's hard as heck for you to read him, but you think he almost looks... worried? You know he and Jake are 'best bros' or however they put it, but that doesn't explain why Dirk would be so bummed. Maybe it's just because he's been in self-imposed isolation for so long and was hoping to see Jake again.

You decide you have more important things to worry about.

JANE: Alright! Why don't we get started? Dirk has a lot of work to catch up on.

DIRK: Was that an insult, Jane?

JANE: Just an observation. Feel free to prove me wrong!

DIRK: Well, when I inevitably do, I'll be expecting an apology.

You launch into training exercises in earnest, building them around getting Dirk up-to-date, though you quickly realize how unnecessary that is. Dirk hasn't lost his edge in the slightest, slotting himself back into the attack patterns as naturally as he always did, even picking up the new ones quickly. Funnily enough, your practice isn't even all that affected by Jake's absence- in fact, everyone seems so invigored by Dirk's return they hardly seem to notice their two missing friends. Either that or they've just chosen to ignore it in favor of welcoming Dirk back. Whatever the case, you couldn't be prouder of the cohesion your team is showing, even if you don't feel personally responsible for said cohesion. A business-minded person like you doesn't care about the means as long as the ends are exactly what they want, so as long as you're getting peak productivity from your friends, you won't worry about the fact that you're not their true motivator.

Yet the worries persist, no matter how much you try to convince yourself there's no need, because you really, _really_ want to be that motivator. You _want_ to be the one pushing them to achieve those desired results. You want- no, you _need_ to be the means to those ends.

Which brings you back to your plan. The one you've been working on for a while, partly due to those nagging doubts in the back of your head. The one you're planning on presenting to the Condesce today. Hoo boy, you're nervous. This is your chance, your first real chance, to prove to yourself and the Condesce and anyone else that you _deserve_ this position, that you're in this to excel. You're not going to waste it.

After an hour of surprisingly intense training, the air is buzzing with leaked power. Even you can feel it buzzing on your skin, and you probably use your powers the least; after all, no one's ever in need of reviving. Your friends all look varying degrees of tired, and the fatigue is seeping into you as well, so you decide to call it a day.

JANE: Okay, everyone, I think that's enough training for one day! I'm really impressed by your work.

JUNE: thanks! not that it was difficult or anything.

JADE: oh please, june, you were just as winded as the rest of us!

ROXY: ye egbert it didnt look like you were having a _breeze_ of a time

JUNE: hey, only i'm allowed to make wind jokes at my expense!

JADE: nope! were commandeering that privilege! hehehe.

ROXY: weve nabbed all the wind jokes and r holding them hostage. theyre locked up tight.

DIRK: You might even call it… airtight.

JUNE: noooooo!!! my one weakness!

June dramatically clutches her chest and falls to the floor, landing in a hover an inch above the tile. You're glad to see everyone joking around again, especially Dirk.

JANE: You did well today, too, Dirk. Better than I expected.

DIRK: Then I believe I'm owed that apology.

JANE: Oh, alright. I'm sorry I made the incredibly logical assumption that you would not be up to speed after missing months of training. My bad.

He stares you down through those shades, his face unflinching. You stare right back, your accompanying grin only a little bit cheeky. You're allowed to tease your friends from time to time, aren't you? Especially when they started it.

Eventually he nods, minutely, conceding some challenge you aren't entirely sure existed in the first place.

DIRK: Apology accepted.

JANE: Honestly, you were amazing out there. I don't think anyone else would have kept up that easily. 

JANE: I'm sure that when Jake decides to show up, he'll have to pick up the slack.

ROSE: More slack than usual, you mean? He's not exactly the most adept at keeping pace with us.

She just always has to get a word in, doesn't she? You turn your gaze on her, though now it's a lot less friendly.

JANE: Well, you don't have to be insulting about it.

ROSE: Me? Insulting? You were the one who insinuated Jake would fall behind after one missed session.

JANE: I just meant that he would have a lot of material to catch up on!

ROSE: Right. Never mind that you make derogatory remarks about his performance on the daily.

JANE: I do _not_!

ROXY: alright girls break it up!

Roxy physically forces themself between you and Rose, tutting their tongue. You reluctantly step back, all the while keeping a narrowed eye on Rose. She just smirks back, innocently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Ooh, the nerve. One day she'll get her comeuppance, and _you'll_ be the one smiling.

Wow, that was an ominous thought. When did you start having those? You guess fish puns aren't the only thing you've picked up from the Condesce.

ROXY: janey stop layin into my sis. sis stop layin into my bffsie. can we agree to be civil for one sec plz?

ROXY: I suppose that wouldn't be too difficult.

JANE: Yes, I agree.

JANE: In fact, I can make Rose's job much easier. I have a meeting with the Condesce.

ROXY: awww again? i feel like we never hang anymore janey!

JANE: I know. I promise I'll spend time with you as soon as I get the chance.

JANE: As for the rest of you, feel free to disperse as you please.

JUNE: no!!  ROXY: no!!

Both June and Roxy turn to each other, shocked by their simultaneous outbursts. Everyone else, you included, watches expectantly for one of them to say something. After a few seconds of vague hand gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication, Roxy motions for June to take the lead. She nods, squaring her shoulders, giving everyone a glance. You might imagine it, but you think her gaze lingers on you the longest. She almost looks guilty, though you have no idea why.

JUNE: i was thinking it would be nice for everyone to hang out and talk! now that dirk's back and everything.

JUNE: i know you can't stay, jane, but if everyone else wants to i think it would be fun!

ROXY: heck yes! i was thinking the same thing!

Oh. Another thing you'll have to miss out on. That explains June's guilt, you suppose. She must feel bad that you can't stay.

JANE: That's a great idea! I wish I wasn't so busy.

ROXY: thats ok janey maybe next time

JANE: Next time for sure! I really do have to go, though.

You edge towards the exit. It's probably best to abscond as quickly as possible to avoid those long, drawn-out goodbyes that would only make you want to stay more.

DIRK: See you around, Jane.

ROSE: Have fun with Her Condescension.

JADE: ignore rose. bye, jane!

JANE: I'll see you all tomorrow.

You slip through the door, neatly shutting it behind you, and head towards the Condesce's living space. The guards part for you immediately; you've visited enough times that they've come to expect you at this point. You briskly bypass the main rooms, only barely noticing the awful décor. You've become used to her gaudy gold-and-purple sensibilities, even if the individual knick-knacks and baubles and other various elements in the room rotate out every few weeks. You appreciate, if nothing else, her dedication to her image.

You knock on her office door, though it's useless to do so at this point. She knows you're coming, she knows who it is, and you know she's expecting you, but you still knock every time. Some formalities just can't be done away with, you suppose.

THE CONDESCE: come in

Before you can even touch the handle, the door swings open. She likes to do that sometimes, open the door for you with her powers. You're not sure if it's supposed to be an intimidating display or what, but you're just as used to it by now as you are every other thing about the Condesce. You like to think you know her pretty well, perhaps better than her own friends do. After all, they never knew exactly how dangerous she was, while you're all too aware she could dispose of you as easily as she did most of them.

You step in and take a seat at her file-cluttered, glitter-dusted desk. Another thing you'll be amending when you take over is her lack of professionalism. She's an effectively ruthless leader in all other areas, but when it comes to acting like an adult she has her quirks. You know she's older than you, though you're not sure how much older, but between the affinity for arts-and-crafts and the constant puns you might think she was a child. Whatever the case, you vow that, when you're in charge, not a single speck of glitter will taint your mission documents.

THE CONDESCE: so water you here for

THE CONDESCE: you insisted on meeting today

JANE: That's right. I have an idea.

THE CONDESCE: an idea

JANE: Well, it's actually more of a plan, though it's not excessively fleshed out.

THE CONDESCE: and what kinda plan are we talking about here?

JANE: Let's just call it… a business plan.

THE CONDESCE: im lisfining

With that, you begin laying out your plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had maps by the front bottoms, specifically the line "and i've got big, big plans", stuck in my head the entire time i was writing this so uh yeah.  
> also sidenote i kind of love spades janerose? i didnt even think about it happening it just manifested and i was like "you know what? this works and its good and its gonna keep happening and no one can stop me."  
> anyway this concludes my ted talk on how maps is a jane-coded song. no i will not be taking questions at this time.


	14. Jake: Panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just realized (because im an idiot) that coloring the text without indicating whos talking, while a fun cool idea, was not colorblind-friendly. so ive fixed that now. yay.  
> also lets pretend this update wasnt a day late :)

You are running so unbelievably late.

You're not sure how it happened. You were in your room, with nothing else to do but wait for the training session of the day, and decided to put on a movie- Tomb Raider, one of your favorites. But you guess you haven't been sleeping well lately, because not even Lara Croft could keep you awake. Next thing you know you're jerking awake three hours later, the movie long over, and realizing your one responsibility for the day started nearly an hour ago. You tore through the hallways as fast as you could, hoping you might at least catch the end of it, even if they haven't been very productive as of late due to the Striders' absences bringing morale down. But still, maybe you could avoid another ear-tearing lecture from Jane if you at least attempt to show up.

As you approach the usual room, you hear raised, argumentative voices. You really hope that's not about you. You slow your approach, tentatively inching closer to listen in, because you're not the biggest fan of disagreements, especially not when they concern you.

JUNE: should we be talking about this with him here? can we really trust him after what happened with dave?

ROXY: ofc we can! he wants to help now

JUNE: how can we believe that? maybe he just wants to sell us out to condy.

ROXY: then he woulda done that already when i first told him!

JUNE: maybe he's trying to get more information? that's the exact kind of stupid strategy he would use.

????: You realize I'm right here, right?

Was that… Dirk? It sure sounded like him. But he's been locking himself away where the dickens don't shine, and you… you haven't seen him in months. You haven't _heard_ from him in months.

BGD: You bet your fucking ass it's me.

Ugh, this guy again? He always bugs you at the most inconvenient times. You have to whisper back to him so as not to blow your cover.

JAKE: Go away brain ghost dirk im trying to spy on them.

BGD: Just trying to answer your question, bro. Also, the fact that I'm here means your cover's already blown, so.

You glare at his shimmering, almost see-through form, willing him to bugger off, but he only stares back at you, utterly unimpressed. He began popping up after Dirk first locked himself in his room, a lame side-effect of your already lame powers, and he's the only version of your best friend that you've seen for the past two months. Frankly, you're getting tired of it.

JAKE: (What do you- oh, never mind! Hopefully youre right about dirk being in there. That way youll just disappear forever when i see him again.)

BGD: Damn, no need to be hurtful about it. What'd I ever do to you?

JAKE: (Shhhh! Im listening.)

BGD: Anyway, you're wrong. I'm not just gonna dip out of existence once Dirk Prime appears back in your life. Call me a fucking parasite, cause there ain't no getting rid of me now.

You ignore him and tune back into the conversation on the other side of the door. It seems you missed a sentence or two.

DIRK: I'm not going to sell y'all out.

JUNE: well _i'm_ utterly convinced! how about everyone else?

JADE: june maybe we should give him a chance? i think he wants to help!

ROSE: Guys, perhaps we ought to-

JUNE: prove it! if you've changed then prove it.

DIRK: And how do you expect me to do that? Do you want a pinky promise, Egbert? I should warn you, my pinky strength is off the charts, so accept at your own risk.

JUNE: ew no i'm not going anywhere near your weird calloused pinky.

DIRK: I could swear on all things equine. Would that convince you?

Okay, if that isn't Dirk you'll imbibe your knickerboxers. Or something to that effect. You guess Brain Ghost Dirk was right, then. To his credit, he has gone quiet since you started ignoring him, though he's still crouching next to you, staring at you through those holographic shades. As creepy as it is, and as annoying as he's been the past few months, it gives you some small sense of relief, strangely enough.

JUNE: that's somehow worse.

ROXY: well whaddaya want him to do june how is he supposed to prove anything to ya

ROXY: cant u just trust him? or at the very least trust me when i say we can trust him?

JUNE: i don't know! i just don't want to fuck this up!

JADE: june come on! he wouldnt do anything to put us in danger

JUNE: oh really? try telling that to dave.

The room goes quiet, and you wonder what they could be doing, or what they're even talking about, for that matter. Which is why you lean closer, and lose your balance, because of course you do. You tumble to the floor hard, banging your elbow on the tile. Whoops. You hope they didn't hear that.

JUNE: what was that?!

DIRK: More accurately, who?

BGD: Yeah, they definitely heard you, dude. The jig is up.

Well, fuck.

ROXY: rose do you-

ROSE: We're fine. Don't worry.

ROSE: You can come in, Jake.

You startle, a small squeak of a yelp escaping you, even though you should have expected it, even though you have plenty of experience with Rose's terrifying predictions. Well, they _definitely_ know you're here now. You stand up, brushing yourself off as best you can, and push open the door.

JAKE: Um, hello, chaps. Terribly sorry about running late and listening in and interrupting and…

You trail off as you look around the room. As sure as you were that Dirk would be in the room, you're still surprised to see the proof with your own two eyes. Although, you notice that he doesn't look too surprised to see you. Almost as if, like Rose, he was expecting it to be you. You also notice something even more shocking- Jane is missing. It's so unlike her to be absent from a meeting.

JAKE: Dirk buddy what in the blazes are you doing here? And wheres janey gone off to? Surely she isnt as irresponsible as me.

DIRK: Jane had something to do, so she left early. Me, I'm just here to help plan our escape.

JAKE: Um… pardon?

You had taken a step towards him, hoping for… what? A hug? A bro-fist-bump? You falter, though, because what he's saying doesn't make a lick of sense. Did he say _escape_?

BGD: You heard him right, dude. Or I guess you heard _me_ right? Do I count as a separate identity? This shit's kinda confusing. Who _am_ I?

JUNE: we're gonna break out. you're welcome to join us.

JAKE: Whoa whoa whoa slow your roll missy! Youre telling me youre planning on ditching this place?

BGD: That is almost exactly what she said, yes.

JAKE: Could you shut it?

The rest of the room stares at you, clearly confused by your outburst, and you're reminded that they can't see Brain Ghost Dirk. Wonderful. Not only is he a nuisance, but he's one that you have to deal with alone. Except… Dirk doesn't look so much confused as he does amused. Is he somehow aware of your phantom version of him? That's incredibly embarrassing. You give the copy another withering glare, and he must get the memo because he mimes zipping his lips shut.

ROXY: um idk about that but yeah! were bustin outta here.

JAKE: And youre okay with that dirk? Correct me if im wrong but i remember you adamantly insisting that staying here was best for us. You even brought dave back for chrissakes! But now youre supporting an escape plan? Whats caused this change of heart?

JUNE: that is what i want to know! i still don't think he's trustworthy.

JAKE: I say june its quite rude of you to call into question mr striders intentions. Of course hes trustworthy! And dirk is my closest pal so i think im more than qualified to say so.

ROXY: see? told ya june

JUNE: well duh of course both of you would say that you're his best friends.

JUNE: do i need to remind you that, again, we're talking about the guy who betrayed his own bro?

Dirk glances at you, almost imperceptibly, but you know him well enough to know how to read him. He's trying to gauge how you feel about all this, about what he did to Dave. You think… well, you're not quite sure. You know it was a bad decision, one which at the time he probably thought was necessary. Except that's in the past now, and there's no use hemming and hawing over it. As far as you're concerned, it only matters that he feels remorse about it now. And… you don't think you could ever truly stay mad at Dirk.

DIRK: Like Jake said, I've had something of a change of heart. I'm not gonna hurt Dave again. I can promise you that much.

JUNE: wow great promise, dirk. there definitely weren't like fifty loop holes you could jump through in that one!

DIRK: I mean, I'm all for writing up a detailed contract, if that's what you want. I'll even let your legal team pore over it.

JADE: june i really think we should trust him! he seems sincere about helping! besides i dont think we have a choice since he already knows were planning something

JUNE: well that's a stupid reason to trust him! he doesnt know any details yet.

DIRK: Sorry to break it to you, June, but whatever details y'all got planned, I'll be able to figure out. Don't know if you noticed but I'm kind of a fucking genius.

JUNE: ugh. let's ask the strategist then! rose, trusting dirk has _gotta_ be a bad move, right?

ROSE: Oh, so _now_ you want to hear from me? How interesting.

The stare Rose directs at June is icier than usual, and the rest of the room perks up, because it's always a bad sign when Rose gets more snippy than usual.

JUNE: what?

ROSE: Seems you only ask my opinion when you think I'll be able to aid you.

JUNE: oh! sorry, i didn't mean to-

ROSE: It's fine.

ROSE: You want to hear my opinion? Well, here you go.

ROSE: I think you're questioning the credibility of the wrong person.

The group goes silent, and you can almost see the rippling effect as each person figures out what she means- their brows crease, before warily glancing at a few of their friends. Almost all of their gazes land on you at some point or another, and honestly you can't rightly blame them. You _did_ kind of just crash their party, and, though you haven't the gallantry to voice them, you do have some doubts about this whole "escape" thing. It doesn't stop you from squirming at the unwanted attention.

JADE: who should we be questioning then?

ROSE: Me.

Well at least that gets everyone's eyes off of you.

JUNE: wait what?

ROXY: rose wtf is that supposed to mean

ROSE: It means that I'm refraining from helping with this escape plan.

JADE: but why? dont you want to get out?

ROSE: Of course I do. That's not the problem. Your plan is untenable.

ROXY: not to be a broken record but whats _that_ supposed to mean

ROSE: Whatever plan you're cooking up, whoever you're involving, it will fail. Maybe not at once- maybe you'll taste a hint of freedom, perhaps even remain out of the grasp of this place for a few months, but, inevitably, you will fail.

JADE: then why dont you help us?! maybe if you contribute to the plan we can escape for good!

ROSE: That's quite a big maybe, but I'm sorry to say I don't even believe it's a possibility. Besides, that isn't the only reason for me to remain uninvolved. If we successfully escape, we doom the world.

JUNE: oh not this again! you and dirk were always so convinced there would be catastrophe if we got out, but the world was perfectly fine before we existed! why is it so dependent on us now?

ROSE: Did you forget we aren't the only ones with powers? There are plenty of Heightened out there, right now, terrorizing the world, and we are the only defenses against them.

JUNE: and what's stopping us from doing the same thing we do in the aci out there?

ROSE: Would you like a list? Lack of resources, lack of funds, not to mention the complete _illegality_ of misplaced vigilante justice.

ROXY: remind me, is that more or less illegal than forcing 13 yr olds to use powers they barely understand to fight criminals?

Rose purses her lips, staring up at her friends, most of whom have begun to crowd around her as they demand explanations. The only ones hanging back are you and Dirk, though you're doing so mostly out of discomfort, while Dirk silently watches on with that same stoic demeanor he always have. You wish you could tell what he thought about all of this. You certainly don't know enough to make a sound judgement of Rose's reasoning, but you do have your own opinions on whether leaving the facility is a good idea. As much as it sucks in comparison to the outside world, as much as you long for adventure and exploration, you feel comfortable here. It's all you know, and it's predictable, and you can manage living here. You have no experience with the real world, none of you do, and maybe that's what Rose really means when she says your escape would fail.

ROSE: You should know better than anyone how I feel about that. I'm sure you all remember how I adamantly refused to cooperate the first time they tried to force us to fight. They had their reasons, and their loopholes, since our humanity was still in question at the time. But I eventually came around, because I realized it was necessary, and that what we do here is _important_. So I plan to stay and continue using my powers where they're most needed, and guide the facility towards change. I advise you to do the same, though I understand if you still decide to go through with this. And you don't have to worry about me telling the Condesce or hindering your plans in any way. I'm not a snitch, and I sure as hell would not betray you like that.

JUNE: rose… are you sure?

JADE: doing this wont be the same without you

ROSE: I'm quite sure, yes. Sorry if that disappoints.

ROXY: dirk cant u convince her? you changed ur opinion

DIRK: Not exactly. I still think we're most useful here, though now I also think we should get a say in whether we actually stay.

ROXY: omg dirk way to be completely unhelpful

DIRK: Just statin' facts.

ROSE: Yes, I agree. Which is why I'll leave you to it.

She stands up, and the bubble of friends around her burst to let her past, though it's done with clear reluctance. She walks fowards, nodding at you as she does so, and you just watch, at a complete loss for words. You're not sure what that head nod was supposed to be about. Can she tell you're having doubts as well?

When she reaches the door, she turns back, her gaze sweeping through the group once more. Her mouth is flat, conveying no strong feelings, but you notice something in her eyes betrays a touch of sadness. She's always been good at keeping any emotion that wasn't bitter resentment under wraps, but then again you suppose anger and sadness aren't too dissimilar.

ROSE: I wish you all the best of luck, and hope that, whatever happens, you end up happy.

Then she's out the door, leaving the rest of your friends staring glumly at the handle. You're sure they're hoping for that handle to turn again, for her to rush in and proclaim she was wrong, but she does not return.

ROXY: well fuck. there goes our main strategist. bummer

JUNE: yeah bummer's one word for it! while we're on the subject, anyone else having second thoughts? because i'm all in on this, and i need to know the rest of you are too.

June's tone is more than a little accusatory, which is terrifying for you specifically. And Jade is watching you, eyes squinted behind her large glasses, not even trying to be subtle about it. You couldn't possibly voice your doubts, though. For one, they're ridiculous and couldn't possibly matter in the grand scheme of things. Saving your friends, helping them achieve whatever they want, that's all that matters, not your childish worries that you won't be able to handle the outside world. And you wouldn't want to seem even more childish- given how unpredictable and useless your powers are, they probably already think you're weak. Not that they'd ever say that to your face. Though, if they did, they wouldn't be wrong.

JADE: im all in june! and im sure the rest of us are too.

Jade sends you another warning glare, which you take as your cue to finally contribute to the conversation.

JAKE: M-me too of course! Im always raring to help my friends in dangerous situations so you can bet your whillickers ill be right by your side for this one!

JUNE: great! i knew i could count on both of you. and i know you've got my back, roxy.

ROXY: ofc! and dirks in too

JUNE: is he.

DIRK: June, I think I've made it pretty fucking clear that I'm in. And with Rose gone, you're gonna need the extra help.

JUNE: ugh fine. only because rose bailed on us. i guess that means we can dive into strate-

JAKE: Wait!

Everyone turns to you, and you flush, tugging at your collar. You hadn't really meant to interrupt like that, but something else has been scratching in the back of your mind, something aside from your more inconsequential, self-affiliated thoughts.

JAKE: What about jane? Are we not going to include her in this?

JUNE: jake… you know jane. she's too invested in the aci. she would rat us out at the first sign of rebellion. i love my sister but… we can't trust her.

JAKE: We cant even give her a chance? You never know she might be considering her own way outta-

DIRK: Jake, this is Jane we're talking about. She basically worships Condy. It ain't gonna happen.

JAKE: Oh come on! Roxy? This is your best friend were talking about. Surely you think she should get a say!

ROXY: jakey. hon. i was the one who convinced her to leave

You open your mouth to protest more, but as you look around your group, while their shifty-eyed guilt is clear as day, none of them look like they're even considering changing their minds. Dirk is the only one who can meet your gaze, though you can't tell for sure behind the shades if he feels as guilty as the rest. You sigh, knowing they're probably correct about Jane, though that doesn't make her exclusion right.

JAKE: Fine janes out i suppose. But what about everyone else in the facility? There are other heightened not to mention the grey-skinned fellows. Does our plan include them?

JUNE: yes, though we won't be speaking with them directly. i'm in contact with an other that i trust- terezi- and she's going to be handling things on her end. as for the other humans, we can't trust them enough to tell them ahead of time, but we _will_ make sure they have the chance to escape when the time comes.

You slowly nod. That's probably the most satisfactory answer you you're gonna get for now. Maybe, when you all make your break for it, Jane will have the chance to join you. She might be hurt that you left her out, but with any luck she'll still choose to come with you. You really, _really_ hope she chooses to come with you. Jane's one of your closest friends.

JUNE: any other questions before we begin, jake?

JAKE: Um no i dont think ive any more pressing concerns.

JUNE: great! now comes the fun part. let's talk strategy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me making my own work skin specifically to incorporate a different color for brain ghost dirk. because i like that better than just putting parentheses around his name ig.


	15. The Condesce: Consider.

JANE: So? What do you think?

You watch your chosen heir as she lays her hands flat on the desk, trying to contain the jitters in them. She's excited about this, that much was clear from the moment she entered your office. You suppose you're proud she's embracing her role so eagerly. That's partly why you chose her for the job, and it's why you use her chosen name, something you don't do with any of the other kids. Helps to distinguish her from the rest of them, so they'll accept her as boss when the time comes.

Not that you plan on disappearing any time soon. It's just a precaution, one recommended by your higher-ups. Most of the precautions you take come at their behest, which makes you more than a little uneasy. You can't help but think that they're making things as convenient as possible for them, so that when they finally decide you're more trouble than you're worth, they can take you out, no sweat. Like hell are you going to let that happen, though. With any luck, you'll toss 'em overboard before it comes to that.

THE CONDESCE: lemme get this straight. you wanna turn the aci into a business

JANE: Yep.

THE CONDESCE: a mercenary business

JANE: I suppose we could be considered as mercenaries, yes. However, it would do us good to keep in mind that for the best marketing, we should probably avoid terms that remind the customer base of murder. Might I suggest "specialized bodyguards"? Or perhaps "ability-wielding security detail".

THE CONDESCE: you do reelize that a lot of our 'customer bass' will be looking for murder?

JANE: Well, like I mentioned before, that option is certainly available to us. If we wanted to keep our business legitimate, we obviously wouldn't offer unsavory services, but if you think we would be able to keep everything hushed up, then we could always dip into the more illegal side of things.

THE CONDESCE: and this would be profitable?

JANE: More profitable than what we're making now, which I'll remind you is nothing. Unless you count the meager amount of tax money we get from the government as profit.

You sigh, leaning back in your chair. She does have a point there- you barely get enough to scrape by with the pennies they throw at you with their budget bill. It would be nice to rake in some dough. Of course, there are some problems with her plan.

THE CONDESCE: sea heres the thing. we _are_ still a gov program. we cant just break off and decide we suddenly want to make money and do our own thing, as much as id love to. i got higher ups to report to that def wouldnt be down for this and i cant do anything without their say-so

JANE: Well, Your Imperiousness, have you ever considered that perhaps we don't need their permission? Wouldn't you like to get out from under their thumb?

THE CONDESCE: duh of course ive considered that do you know how much i wanna get rid of those suckas

THE CONDESCE: wont let me do a cod damn thing without approval

THE CONDESCE: id love to break from the whole official gov gig. and you know how i feel about cash

You gesture pointlessly at the office around you, which is, like always, glammed up to the max. Your spending habits are more than a little frivolous, you'll admit that, but you just can't help it. Everything you own is a testament to a life lived glamorously, a life of permanence, and that's exactly what you want. You'd give anything to last as long as gold does, i.e. basically eternity. And if that ain't accurate to the durability of gold you don't give a fuck.

JANE: Then… gosh, it feels so wrong for me to suggest this, but maybe we should do something about them?

THE CONDESCE: you suggestin we murk those fools? thats cold crocker. i like it

JANE: Well, I certainly wouldn't put it in _those_ terms, but I guess I was getting to a point similar to that.

THE CONDESCE: hahaha girl you want to straight-up krill them im shocked

JANE: In all fairness, they have acted rather unfairly towards my friends and I.

THE CONDESCE: good to hear you dont blame me

JANE: Why would I? I know you're just as tied by the circumstances as we are.

THE CONDESCE: right. its just that mosta your friends dont see it the same way

JANE: Yes, well, not all of my friends are as skilled as me at seeing the bigger picture.

THE CONDESCE: hm i guess so. but you know i was the one who started all this junk

JANE: Yes, and again, I couldn't possibly blame you. It was an admirable idea, creating a facility to help the bewildered, suddenly powerful people on Earth adjust to their powers! Not to mention the idea to use those powers for good!

THE CONDESCE: not that that part was reelly my idea in the first place

JANE: No, however you did support it. It's really a shame you had to get the government involved. This should have been a privatized business from the get-go.

You're not entirely sure what that means. "Privatized business"? You guess she's all in it for the money-making, which you get. It's a quality in her that you can respect. Or maybe she's just an extreme capitalist. Either way, you don't got a problem with it. What you _do_ got a problem with, though, is the insinuation that you had any choice other than the one you made.

THE CONDESCE: shore if you say so

THE CONDESCE: except those government suckafish were involved long before the get go. theyre the dumbasses who created the heightened

THE CONDESCE: and so of course when they were called on to clean up their mess they had no choice

THE CONDESCE: so they come to me tellin me theyd love to take responsibility for all us powerful humans and steal my facility

THE CONDESCE: what was i sposed to do? couldnt refuse or theyd just gank my style and leave me outta it

THE CONDESCE: and that woulda made me irrelevant so i decided instead i had to put myself in a position where i at least had some control over this

THE CONDESCE: i had to be in a position with power. and i wouldnt have that if i turned them down

JANE: I already know all of that. That's in the past, though, so my question is this: What are we gonna do about it now?

Huh. You lean back, eyeing her closer, almost impressed. There's a conviction in her posture, a surety of what your next actions should be, as if she already has it all planned out in her head. You're positive she does, actually. She just has to convince you to go with it… and you think she might be on the right track. She's young, a lot younger than you, but she's already finding ways to motivate you, guide you towards what she wants, in a way that's just subtle enough to not be obvious. Better yet, she knows exactly what she's doing and she's perfectly comfortable trying to manipulate you. Or, maybe she's a little worried, but she's not letting it show. And this is why you chose her, out of all those other humans, because you knew she had the capability to be ruthless in her businesslike approach to everything. You just need to guide her to use that ruthlessness correctly.

THE CONDESCE: whale what did you have in mind?

She grins at that, clearly pleased that you've given her the go-ahead. Or maybe she's just excited about what she has in mind.

JANE: Isn't it obvious? We kill Doc Scratch.

You laugh, long and hard, though not in derision. Well, okay, maybe it's a little derisive, because what she's suggesting is exactly what you expected, but at the same time it's nearly impossible, and kind of ridiculous to hear Jane say anything like that so frankly. You're used to her adding as much preamble as possible to get to her points as slowly as possible, but you guess she's had a lot of time to think about this.

THE CONDESCE: thats gonna be a hard score jane

THE CONDESCE: and before you say you know that i know you know

JANE: Okay, no need to be a smarty pants.

THE CONDESCE: but seriously you cant go glubbing shit like that unless you got the means to back it up

THE CONDESCE: so… do you got a plan

JANE: What do you take me for, a no-good slacker? Of course I have a plan. It'd need to be good to take down one of the most powerful people on the planet.

THE CONDESCE: not just good. itd have to be fucking perfect. foolproof. is your plan foolproof

JANE: Well, I've been concocting it for a while now, and I'm pretty convinced it can get the job done.

THE CONDESCE: i cant have _pretty_ convinced girl. i need this to be something youre absolutely sure will work

JANE: I didn't want to oversell it, but since you're so concerned… I'm completely confident in my plan. I just need your input, of course.

THE CONDESCE: whale yeah thats the whole point of us working together

THE CONDESCE: were a team now. hell, we been a team since i chose you as my second-in-command

THE CONDESCE: plus youre gonna want to know how it went down when i took on scratch

This makes Jane pause, taken aback, just as you planned it to. You always try to keep any information about you under wraps, so no one can ever hold it over your head. You've let too much slip in the past, had too much experience with adversaries forcing you into unsavory positions, to ever let it happen again. Information is a powerful tool if you know what to reveal when, and at this point you've got it down to a fucking science.

JANE: You… you went against Doc Scratch? When? Why? _How?_

THE CONDESCE: slow down there guppy ill answer your questions

THE CONDESCE: it was a long time ago tho so be patient with me

JANE: Okay… so what happened?

You tap your nails on your desk, frowning. You remember it all in vivid detail, of course, because your mind is a steel fucking crab trap. It's just not all that easy to talk about one of the few times you failed in your life. But you're gonna have to do this in order to avoid making those mistakes again.

THE CONDESCE: you know what why dont i start from the beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a meenah-liker. what can i say


	16. Meenah: Get rid of Doc Scratch.

That's it. He's fucked with you and your friends for the last time.

You were fine when he took over the ACI from you, when you still thought he was some harmless government official. You were fine when he began shifting the purpose of the facility from supporting the ability-users to training them for protecting the country. You were fine even when he coerced you to conduct those fishy experiments and create those mutated freaks.

But you draw the fucking line at manipulating your friends. He turned Damara against you, he convinced Aranea and Kankri to go along with his pretended vigilante machinations, and he encouraged the rest of them into not caring or outright leaving. He's getting rid of all your support systems, and you just _know_ he's doing it on purpose, trying to isolate you, making it so that you can't protest his ideas. Well, you're not some blind deep-sea fish, and you can detect a fucked up plot when it's being used against you. It's about cod-damn time you did something about it.

MEENAH: alright which of you suckas are gonna kelp me take down doc scratch

You had called the few friends you had left to trust to meet you here, since it seems no one else is willing to step up. You've never been much of a leader- you always lacked the drive and the will, and you always disliked the idea- but now it'll take all the confidence that you can muster to motivate them into helping you. Because, as you look around the room, you're met by disinterest, or confusion, or mild terror. You have your work cut out for you.

RUFIOH: hey doll, n1ce of you to call us together and all… what's th1s about?

MEENAH: what about what i said did you not understand? were getting rid of scratch

RUFIOH: oh haha… 1 mean 1 got that part… 1'm more confused as to why you've suddenly dec1ded th1s 1s a good 1dea…

MEENAH: youre kidding right

PORRIM: Actually, Meenah, I'm go+ing to+ have to+ agree with Rufio+h's sentiment here. This seems very o+ut-o+f-the-blue fo+r yo+u to+ suggest this. What's yo+ur reaso+ning?

MEENAH: okay you gotta be actually crazy or something

MEENAH: the dude is a despicable piece of carp!

MEENAH: i mean look around dumbasses! theres a reason theres only five of us in here. hes krilled meulin and kurloz, he scrambled mitunas brain beyond repair, and who knows what the fuck he did to latula

MEENAH: and he turned the other three against me- against us

MEENAH: hes trying to tear us apart and bring us down how can you not see that

HORUSS: Pardon my intrusion, but perhaps you should recant your statement on Mituna. You were responsible for those heinous e%periments, were you not?

MEENAH: and who do you think put me up to those experiments, huh?

CRONUS: oh vwell i think it vwas for the better anyvway. that vweirdo vwas alvways a pain in my ass. he's much more manageable nowv.

MEENAH: cronus will you shut the glub up no one is ever interested in hearing your opinion. you should thank your lucky starfish i havent culled you yet

He crosses his arms and pouts, cowering a little, but you think your and Porrim's glares are enough to get your point across. Rufioh rubs the back of his head, looking all the world like a sheepish jackass, while Horuss just watches you with something akin to boredom. You turn to Porrim, who's probably your only hope in this pathetic group.

MEENAH: come on maryam you of all people gotta know how fucked up this is cant you kelp a girl out

PORRIM: I'm so+rry, Meenah. I wo+uld like to+, but I do+n't kno+w ho+w we co+uld po+ssibly do+ anything abo+ut it. Aside fro+m the fact that he has two+ extremely po+werful assets at his dispo+sal, as well as whatever help he can get from the underage wards o+f the facility, he himself po+ssesses a wealth o+f impressive and highly dangero+us abilities. I do+n't think we wo+uld stand a chance, no+t even if we all wo+rked to+gether.

PORRIM: +, it's no+t exactly reassuring to+ kno+w that yo+ur plan was made specifically because he began inco+nveniencing yo+u. Yo+u weren't plo+tting murder when he dispo+sed of Meulin and Kurlo+z, and yo+u certainly didn't seem all that upset by Mituna's unfo+rtunate accident.

PORRIM: It was o+nly when he began pulling friends fro+m yo+u that yo+u felt the need to retaliate. Yo+u feel threatened.

MEENAH: ok so what if my plans are self motivated that dont suddenly make what hes doing right

MEENAH: and i think youre underselling our carpabilities maryam. i can literally pull his soul outta his body how is he gonna combat that

MEENAH: id appreciate some glubbing assistance when you guppies decide to actually grow a backbone and stand up for yourselves for once

MEENAH: hes fucked up our lives enough as is

RUFIOH: sh*t, doll… 1 get what you're say1ng and all… but 1s there really anyth1ng we can do about 1t? 1 mean, what's really gonna happen when we get r1d of doc scratch?

MEENAH: ill take over the facility again. itll be like old times

HORUSS: Wouldn't that put us in a difficult situation with the U.S. government? Surely they don't condone murdering one of their top-ranking officials. Can we e%pect to hold our own against whatever force they decide to set against us?

MEENAH: we can negotiate with them, convince em well be more efficient than scratch. the important thing is that well be in charge again

CRONUS: sorry babe hate to break it to you but i dont think this plan a yours is wvery sound. might as vwell just givwe up vwhile you're ahead.

MEENAH: jesus glubbing christ whats a girl gotta do to convince ya suckas! dont you care at all?

PORRIM: O+f co+urse we do+. Well, I can't speak fo+r the o+thers, but I care. I just think it's to+o+ late fo+r us to+ do+ anything that wo+uld be successful. If yo+u had suggested retaliatio+n in the beginning, befo+re we were sunk in the claws o+f the Do+cto+r and his asso+ciates, then I wo+uld have gladly jumped abo+ard, because at least then we wo+uld've had a chance of success. No+w, tho+ugh… I just do+n't see a way ho+w this co+uld end well fo+r us.

MEENAH: ugh fine! yall can cower in here if you want. ill do this on my own if i have to

RUFIOH: hold on, pe1xes… you aren't actually gonna go up aga1nst h1m alone, are you? you don't stand a chance… you know that, r1ght?

MEENAH: all i know is the rest of yall are too COWARDLY to join me, so i got no choice but to go it alone

MEENAH: this is your last chance

You look around the room, trying to catch each of their gazes, but you know it's pointless, that they're all either too spineless or careless or cautious to actually help. Porrim's the only one to meet your stare, though you can see the resignation in her eyes clearly enough. You really are alone.

MEENAH: okay then. totally fine. if you dont hear from me again… whale im sure youre all smart enough to figure out what harpooned

RUFIOH: aw doll, don't be l1ke that…

Fuck this. You aren't gonna stick around to hear any more pathetic excuses from them. You're out the door, slamming it shut behind you before Rufioh can get another word in. Might as well get this over with.

You head straight towards Scratch's office.

~~~~~

For a long time after the confrontation, you always failed to explain exactly what happened. You remember barging into his office, not surprised to see Aranea and Kankri in there, discussing cod-knows-what. You had a few extra powers in your arsenal- the only positive from witnessing Meulin and Kurloz's deaths- so you were able to incapacitate your once-friends pretty quickly, flooding them with enough rage to keep them out of your way, preoccupied with the impulse to fight each other. Then you'd turned on the Doc, lightning fast, prepared to sap the life out of his paradoxically diminutive body before he could possibly retaliate, but when you'd reached for that lifeforce you'd found… nothing. He grinned at you for a moment, not an ounce mockingly, but with a creepy sort of kindness. It was impossible, but you swear that, just for a moment, his face morphed, his features disappearing into a blank, white plane. Then he'd snapped his fingers, and everything faded, leaving you somewhere else entirely- no Aranea and Kankri tugging at each other's hair in a corner, no desk in front of you or door behind you. Just you and Scratch in a vast, empty void. He'd invited you to sit down at a table you're positive wasn't there before, and to help yourself to the tea that materialized from thin air.

That's about when you realized you were hopelessly outmatched. The one weapon you'd trusted to take care of this job was inexplicably useless against him. At a loss for words, you took your seat.

He made it clear you were only still alive because of your willingness to cooperate. He laid out the terms you would have to follow if you wanted to continue living. You agreed. Once again, Scratch had forced you into a decision that really only had one viable choice, and you'd played right into his hands. The agreement was, surprisingly enough, not as bad as you feared- it gave you considerable power, over both the facility and your friends, but it also put you even further under his thumb. As soon as you'd accepted his terms, his office came back into focus, Aranea and Kankri blinking confusedly next to you.

And you? You'd left the office determined, a new promotion under your belt.

~~~~~

THE CONDESCE: did ya get all that?

Jane had listened silently and attentively as you'd retold the story, leaning forward with wide eyes. You'd probably not added as much embellishment as she was hoping for, since you're not much of a storyteller. Not like Aranea, who liked to talk the ear off of anyone who came within a six foot radius of her. It's funny how rarely you've thought about her since you killed her. When was the last time you thought about Aranea Serket? Maybe when you last saw her younger counterpart, B8, whose name you can barely remember. Was it… Varski? You know most of the humans names, but when it comes to the Others you don't care to remember more than their official designation. It helps you separate them from the human friends whose souls make them up.

JANE: Yes, of course, but what am I supposed to get from that? All I feel like I learned is that Doc Scratch is some sort of… soulless monster? And that his abilities are unpredictable and confusingly vague and far too powerful for us to face! Heck, even if we could, he would apparently find a way to turn any move we make against him to his benefit! How're we going to combat that?

THE CONDESCE: whale thats the problem with fighting scratch unprepared. we got no clue what his weaknesses are

THE CONDESCE: so ill get straight to the point i was tryna make with that anecdote

THE CONDESCE: youre gonna need your fronds. as many as you can get to agree to kelp. thats the only shot we got

Jane's eyebrows scrunch ever so slightly as she processes this, as if making the mental calculations in her head. You know what's coming, even before she says it.

JANE: But couldn't they get hurt? We have no idea what Scratch is capable of.

THE CONDESCE: yeah they could. but its the only option. if the price we have to pay to get rid of him is a few people i say its worth it

THE CONDESCE: the biggest mistake i made when i faced him was thinkin i could do it alone. shore none of my fronds were willing to join me but i coulda taken the time to convince them or even talk to the ones i thought were on scratchs side. especially damara because i found out later she hated the doc as much as i did

THE CONDESCE: but reelly having multiple people there to face him is gonna be important because one of them has to have some power thats effective against him

JANE: You mean because your powers weren't?

THE CONDESCE: exactly. they shoulda been and they werent

THE CONDESCE: and even though ive gained a few more since then i still cant be sure that one of em will work

THE CONDESCE: which is why were gonna need as much firepower as possible

JANE: I suppose, if that's really what we need to win this, then… it's a necessary sacrifice.

You nod, leaning back from your chair. A businesswoman through and through, just like you expected. She's capable of making those tough decisions, the ones that put her friends in danger, because she knows what's at stake if she doesn't.

THE CONDESCE: good. ill leave the convincing up to you then. think you can handle that?

JANE: Of course I can. In fact, I bet most of them would be more than happy to help!

THE CONDESCE: a word of advice though. start with the ones you trust. its gonna be easier to win them over to your side first

JANE: I was thinking the same thing. Recruit people who I know have my back.

THE CONDESCE: exactly

JANE: And then? What comes after that?

You push back from your desk, standing to your full height. Jane has to crane her neck slightly to look at you, confusion in her eyes. You turn away from her, wishing, not for the first time, that there was a window in your office, that having a window was even possible in this geometric nightmare of a hell dimension. If everything goes according to plan, you won't have to stay trapped in here for much longer.

When you look back at Jane, you give her a wide, almost manic grin.

THE CONDESCE: after that we krill that motherfucker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing the dancestors is... fun? who wouldve thought

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! follow me on twitter @lucidlyLucid for updates/general stupidity


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